## Variables
When receiving a build from GitLab CI, the runner prepares the build environment.
It starts by setting a list of **predefined variables** (Environment Variables) and a list of **user-defined variables**

The variables can be overwritten. They take precedence over each other in this order:
1. Secure variables
1. YAML-defined variables
1. Predefined variables

For example, if you define:
1. API_TOKEN=SECURE as Secure Variable
1. API_TOKEN=YAML as YAML-defined variable

The API_TOKEN will take the Secure Variable value: `SECURE`.

### Predefined variables (Environment Variables)

| Variable                | Runner | Description |
|-------------------------|-----|--------|
| **CI**                  | 0.4 | Mark that build is executed in CI environment |
| **GITLAB_CI**           | all | Mark that build is executed in GitLab CI environment |
| **CI_SERVER**           | all | Mark that build is executed in CI environment |
| **CI_SERVER_NAME**      | all | CI server that is used to coordinate builds |
| **CI_SERVER_VERSION**   | all | Not yet defined |
| **CI_SERVER_REVISION**  | all | Not yet defined |
| **CI_BUILD_REF**        | all | The commit revision for which project is built |
| **CI_BUILD_TAG**        | 0.5 | The commit tag name. Present only when building tags. |
| **CI_BUILD_NAME**       | 0.5 | The name of the build as defined in `.gitlab-ci.yml` |
| **CI_BUILD_STAGE**      | 0.5 | The name of the stage as defined in `.gitlab-ci.yml` |
| **CI_BUILD_REF_NAME**   | all | The branch or tag name for which project is built |
| **CI_BUILD_ID**         | all | The unique id of the current build that GitLab CI uses internally |
| **CI_BUILD_REPO**       | all | The URL to clone the Git repository |
| **CI_BUILD_TRIGGERED**  | 0.5 | The flag to indicate that build was [triggered] |
| **CI_PROJECT_ID**       | all | The unique id of the current project that GitLab CI uses internally |
| **CI_PROJECT_DIR**      | all | The full path where the repository is cloned and where the build is ran |

**Some of the variables are only available when using runner with at least defined version.**

Example values:

```bash
export CI_BUILD_ID="50"
export CI_BUILD_REF="1ecfd275763eff1d6b4844ea3168962458c9f27a"
export CI_BUILD_REF_NAME="master"
export CI_BUILD_REPO="https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce.git"
export CI_BUILD_TAG="1.0.0"
export CI_BUILD_NAME="spec:other"
export CI_BUILD_STAGE="test"
export CI_BUILD_TRIGGERED="true"
export CI_PROJECT_DIR="/builds/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce"
export CI_PROJECT_ID="34"
export CI_SERVER="yes"
export CI_SERVER_NAME="GitLab CI"
export CI_SERVER_REVISION=""
export CI_SERVER_VERSION=""
```

### YAML-defined variables
**This feature requires GitLab Runner 0.5.0 or higher and GitLab CI 7.14 or higher **

GitLab CI allows you to add to `.gitlab-ci.yml` variables that are set in build environment.
The variables are stored in repository and are meant to store non-sensitive project configuration, ie. RAILS_ENV or DATABASE_URL.

```yaml
variables:
  DATABASE_URL: "postgres://postgres@postgres/my_database"
```

These variables can be later used in all executed commands and scripts.

The YAML-defined variables are also set to all created service containers, thus allowing to fine tune them.

More information about Docker integration can be found in [Using Docker Images](../docker/using_docker_images.md).

### User-defined variables (Secure Variables)
**This feature requires GitLab Runner 0.4.0 or higher**

GitLab CI allows you to define per-project **Secure Variables** that are set in build environment. 
The secure variables are stored out of the repository (the `.gitlab-ci.yml`).
The variables are securely passed to GitLab Runner and are available in build environment.
It's desired method to use them for storing passwords, secret keys or whatever you want.

**The value of the variable can be shown in build log if explicitly asked to do so.**
If your project is public or internal you can make the builds private.

Secure Variables can added by going to `Project > Variables > Add Variable`.

They will be available for all subsequent builds.

### Use variables
The variables are set as environment variables in build environment and are accessible with normal methods that are used to access such variables.
In most cases the **bash** is used to execute build script.
To access variables (predefined and user-defined) in bash environment, prefix the variable name with `$`:
```
job_name:
  script:
    - echo $CI_BUILD_ID
```

You can also list all environment variables with `export` command,
but be aware that this will also expose value of all **Secure Variables** in build log:
```
job_name:
  script:
    - export
```

[triggered]: ../triggers/README.md