Format AnalysisBaseConfig.connections.outputName on validate

python/lsst/analysis/tools/interfaces/_task.py

@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class AnalysisBaseConfig(PipelineTaskConfig, pipelineConnections=AnalysisBaseCon
     atools = ConfigurableActionStructField[AnalysisTool](
         doc="The analysis tools that are to be run by this task at execution"
     )
-    # Temporarally alias these for backwards compatibility
+    # Temporarily alias these for backwards compatibility
     plots = atools
     metrics = atools
     bands = ListField[str](
@@ -201,20 +201,30 @@ class AnalysisBaseConfig(PipelineTaskConfig, pipelineConnections=AnalysisBaseCon
         in ("reference_package_timestamp", "run_timestamp", "current_timestamp", "dataset_timestamp"),
     )
 
+    def _formatOutputName(self):
+        # Format the connection outputName with other connection values
+        # This should only be done once but it's unclear when/how
+        self.connections.outputName = self.connections.outputName.format(
+            **{k: v for k, v in self.connections.items() if k != "outputName"}
+        )
+
     def freeze(self):
         # Copy the meta configuration values to each of the configured tools
         # only do this if the tool has not been further specialized
         if not self._frozen:
             for tool in self.atools:
                 for tag in self.metric_tags:
                     tool.metric_tags.insert(-1, tag)
+        self._formatOutputName()
         super().freeze()
 
     def validate(self):
         super().validate()
         # Validate that the required connections template is set.
         if self.connections.outputName == "Placeholder":  # type: ignore
             raise RuntimeError("Connections class 'outputName' must have a config explicitly set")
+        elif not self._frozen:
+            self._formatOutputName()
 
 
 class _StandinPlotInfo(dict):