Improve Run Pipeline and Play UX by generating form based on form definition stored in .gitlab-ci.yml (#30101) · Issues · GitLab.org / GitLab

Improve Run Pipeline and Play UX by generating form based on form definition stored in .gitlab-ci.yml

Problem to solve

When Run Pipeline is selected, it only displays a simplistic form that assumes the user knows every variable name and value that needs to be entered when starting the job. If there are a number of variables that need to be entered, and some of then are required, it can be tedious and error prone for the user to enter them all.

Intended users

Any user that needs to trigger pipelines, typically a developer or devops engineer

Further details

When Run Pipeline is selected, the form that allows the user to add variable definitions when running a pipeline or playing a job would add preset input fields from the inputs section in the .gitlab-ci.yml file.

Proposal

Add inputs: node to yaml file:

inputs:

inputs:
    - name: feature_a
      label: label for feature_a
      type: boolean | numeric | text | option | password | file | date | date-time
      default: 
      required: True | False
      options: ["europe-west1-a", "europe-west1-b"]
      options_labels: ["label 1", "label 2"]

Inputs could either be at the forthcoming defaults node, or within a job node

Type boolean would provide a check box next to the name or label
Type numeric would validate for a numeric input
Type option would display some sort of drop-down menu
Type password would mask the input and make sure the variable is masked
Date and Date-time would display a calendar widget or allow direct entry

Default within a job node would override a variable value from the gitlab-ci.yml variable definition. An inputs node from within a job node would override the entry from the defaults node only for the specific job.

I'm not sure what to name it, but there should also be an option to disable entering any variables other than the listed inputs.

Required inputs would need to be non-blank (Not available for boolean type?).

More discussion about defining the forms is in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/24935

Justification

We have about 100 developers who are running pipelines or playing jobs daily and need to set 6-10 variables every time they do so. Having to cut and paste each variable name in addition to the value is tedious, and potentially time consuming if they leave out a required variable and have to start another pipeline. It looks like there are at least a dozen customers requesting this sort of form defined in the gitlab-ci file in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/24935.

Links / references

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/24935 Specify variables when running a manual job

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/35896 Passing variables to CI/CD pipelines in all possible scenarios

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/48974 Pipeline variables to be shown on the pipeline run page

### Problem to solve

When Run Pipeline is selected, it only displays a simplistic form that assumes the user knows every variable name and value that needs to be entered when starting the job.  If there are a number of variables that need to be entered, and some of then are required, it can be tedious and error prone for the user to enter them all.

### Intended users

Any user that needs to trigger pipelines, typically a developer or devops engineer

### Further details

### Proposal

Add inputs: node to yaml file:

Inputs could either be at the forthcoming defaults node, or within a job node
*  Type boolean would provide a check box next to the name or label
*  Type numeric would validate for a numeric input
*  Type option would display some sort of drop-down menu
*  Type password would mask the input and make sure the variable is masked
*  Date and Date-time would display a calendar widget or allow direct entry

Default within a job node would override a variable value from the gitlab-ci.yml  variable definition.  An inputs node from within a job node would override the  entry from the defaults node only for the specific job.

I'm not sure what to name it, but there should also be an option to disable entering any variables other than the listed inputs.

Required inputs would need to be non-blank (Not available for boolean type?).

More discussion about defining the forms is in  https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/24935

### Justification

We have about 100 developers who are running pipelines or playing jobs daily and need to set 6-10 variables every time they do so.  Having to cut and paste each variable name in addition to the value is tedious, and potentially time consuming if they leave out a required variable and have to start another pipeline.  It looks like there are at least a dozen customers requesting this sort of form defined in the gitlab-ci file in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/24935.

### Links / references