Azure Pipeline: Queue time Agent pool selection for yaml based pipeline

Question

Trying to convert a "visually" defined Azure Pipeline to yaml, but have encountered a problem. With the "visually" defined Azure Pipeline you get a UI similar to below when doing a manual queue:

Note how this UI lets us select between agent pools at queue time. This is a functionality we use quite a lot. We do this since we have pipelines we use for machine learning for example.

Unfortunately, you cannot select Agent pool when switching to yaml based pipeline. It is simply gone, despite the yaml pipeline not defining the pool or similar.

Is there any way for getting the same kind of dropdown box for the Agent pool for yaml based pipelines?

UPDATE: Using a variable for the pool name is possible but also a hassle so not looking for a solution that requires entering the full pool name upon queueing. Hence, either a dropdown box or some other mechanism.

Answer 1

This is possible as of Feb 2020. Check out the new Runtime Parameters.

Selecting agent pools from a dropdown is actually their very first example.

parameters:
- name: image
  displayName: Pool Image
  type: string
  default: ubuntu-latest
  values:
  - windows-latest
  - vs2017-win2016
  - ubuntu-latest
  - ubuntu-16.04
  - macOS-latest
  - macOS-10.14