In GitLab using the include keyword allows the inclusion of external YAML files. This helps to break down the CI/CD configuration into multiple files and increases readability for long configuration files. It’s also possible to have template files stored in a central repository and projects include their configuration files. This helps avoid duplicated configuration, for example, global default variables for all projects.

include requires the external YAML file to have the extensions .yml or .yaml, otherwise the external file won’t be included.

The templates in this repository can be used as remote template in the GitLab CI yaml.

It is very simple to use these templates in your CI yaml. It can be done using include:remote in the GitLab CI YAML. include:remote can be used to include a file from a different location, using HTTP/HTTPS, referenced by using the full URL. The remote file must be publicly accessible through a simple GET request as authentication schemas in the remote URL are not supported. For example including strobemeasurement using remote template:

include:
  - remote: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bmcsoftware/bmc-gitlab-remote-templates/master/templates/job/strobemeasurement.gitlab-ci.yml'

We can provide multiple remotes in list format to add more number of remote templates.

gitlab-ci.yml

---
include:
  remote: 'https://www.github.com/bmcsoftware/master/templates/strobemeasurement.gitlab-ci.yml'

stages:
  - "strobe"

strobemeasurementjob:
  stage: strobe
  extends: .strobemeasurement
  tags:
    - windowstest
  variables :
    jobstage: strobe
    selectedHostName: 'cw09'
    requestType: 'addQueue'
    system: 'cw09'
    jobName: 'PINXXX'
    tags: 'test'
    profile: 'TEST'
    email: 'youremail'
    duration: '5'
    limit: 'nolimit'
    finalAction: 'stop'
    method: 'GET'
    url: 'https://url'
    returnURL: 'https://returnURL'

extends keyword used to inherit jobs defined in template file.Pass stage (eg. build,test etc) in jobstage variable to the Job.