Parameters and variables

Parameters

A template sees content and parameters, nothing else. parameters is an object: pass what the template needs from anywhere in the workflow.

"parameters": {
  "environment": "@appsetting('ENVIRONMENT_NAME')",
  "region":      "@parameters('region')",
  "limits":      "@parameters('limits')",                       // an object: parameters.limits.discountPercent
  "tenant":      "@triggerOutputs()?['headers']?['x-tenant']",
  "mode":        "@triggerOutputs()?['queries']?['mode']",
  "receivedAt":  "@utcNow()"
}

Objects stay objects and arrays stay lists. Don't pass secrets this way: action inputs are kept in the run history.

Workflow variables

Variables of every type map straight onto parameters and keep their type in the template:

"Initialize_the_quote_settings": {
  "type": "InitializeVariable",
  "inputs": { "variables": [
    { "name": "currency",     "type": "string",  "value": "@{toUpper(coalesce(triggerOutputs()?['queries']?['currency'], 'CAD'))}" },
    { "name": "maxLines",     "type": "integer", "value": "@int(coalesce(triggerOutputs()?['queries']?['maxLines'], '10'))" },
    { "name": "taxRate",      "type": "float",   "value": "@float(coalesce(triggerOutputs()?['queries']?['taxRate'], '0.15'))" },
    { "name": "expedite",     "type": "boolean", "value": "@equals(triggerOutputs()?['headers']?['x-expedite'], 'true')" },
    { "name": "excludedSkus", "type": "array",   "value": "@split(triggerOutputs()?['queries']?['exclude'], ',')" },
    { "name": "shipTo",       "type": "object",  "value": "@triggerBody()?['shipTo']" }
  ] }
},
"Quote_the_order": {
  "type": "ServiceProvider",
  "inputs": {
    "parameters": {
      "inputFormat": "json", "outputFormat": "json", "content": "@triggerBody()",
      "templateSource": "deployed", "templateName": "quote.liquid",
      "parameters": {
        "currency": "@variables('currency')",          // {{ parameters.currency }}
        "maxLines": "@variables('maxLines')",          // {% for line in content.lines limit: parameters.maxLines %}
        "taxRate": "@variables('taxRate')",            // subtotal | Times: parameters.taxRate
        "expedite": "@variables('expedite')",          // {% if parameters.expedite %}
        "excludedSkus": "@variables('excludedSkus')",  // a list
        "shipTo": "@variables('shipTo')"               // parameters.shipTo.city
      }
    },
    …
  }
},
"Set_total": {
  "type": "SetVariable",
  "inputs": { "name": "total", "value": "@body('Quote_the_order')?['result']?['total']" }   // a number, not text
}

Results back into variables

• Typed values: in JSON mode, result fields are numbers, Booleans, arrays and objects, so Set variable, Increment and Append to array take them directly.
• Route on an answer: a text template can return one word (auto, review, reject) that a Switch acts on. Trim it with trim() in case of a stray line break.
• Pick the template at run time: templateName and outputFormat accept expressions, such as @variables('templateName').

Loops

Transform each item of a batch, collect the results in variables, then render the collected array:

"For_each_order": {
  "type": "Foreach",
  "foreach": "@triggerBody()?['orders']",
  "runtimeConfiguration": { "concurrency": { "repetitions": 1 } },
  "actions": {
    "Summarize_the_order": { … "content": "@items('For_each_order')",
                             "parameters": { "position": "@add(variables('orderCount'), 1)" } … },
    "Append_to_summaries": { "type": "AppendToArrayVariable",
      "inputs": { "name": "summaries", "value": "@body('Summarize_the_order')?['result']" } },
    "Increment_batchTotal": { "type": "IncrementVariable",
      "inputs": { "name": "batchTotal", "value": "@body('Summarize_the_order')?['result']?['total']" } }
  }
},
"Write_the_report": { … "content": "@variables('summaries')", "outputFormat": "text" … }

Keep the loop sequential when its iterations change the same variables. Sample 08 runs all of this.