Difference between template and yaml file in DevOps

Question

I just started reading about DevOps on Microsoft site and I come across these 2 files. I'm confused about the process needing 2 files, with YAML using variable and template using parameter...At moment, I'm still unclear they have to separate between variable and parameter?

Answer 1

They are talking about ARM Templates. While you can have Parent/Child Templates it's more complex and I've never seen an example that split Variables and Parameters to different files.

To clear up the confusion ARM Templates have 5 main parts:

Variables things you know at design time like VNet address.

Parameters things you know at runtime and don't want stored in the template's (YAML format) script such as Usernames and Passwords.

Functions things you compute in your template.

Resources things you are provisioning.

Outputs things you can reuse, such as a Url result of provisioning a Azure Web App.