Use variable or parameter in demands

[timwebster9]

Is it possible to use a variable or parameters in agent pool demands? Something like this:

variables:
  projectName:my-vsts-project
  agentName: '$(projectName)-$(Build.BuildId)'

jobs:
- job: JavaBuild
  dependsOn: LaunchAgent
  pool:
    name: 'mgmt-aks-sandbox'
    demands:
    - agent.name -equals $(agentName)

It doesn't seem to work, as I end up getting like this:

##[Error 1]
No agent found in pool mgmt-aks-sandbox which satisfies the specified demands:
     agent.name -equals $(projectName)-$(Build.BuildId)
     java
     Agent.Version -gtVersion 2.140.2 

I've also tried with parameters and template expressions, and those don't work either:

##[Error 1]
No agent found in pool mgmt-aks-sandbox which satisfies the specified demands:
     agent.name -equals ${{ parameters.agentName }}
     java
     Agent.Version -gtVersion 2.140.2 

It looks like this guy managed to do it via the UI (see comments at the end), but is there a way to do it in YAML?
https://www.noelbundick.com/posts/serverless-vsts-build-agents-with-azure-container-instances/

[timwebster9]

Update: It works if you don't use the top level variable like I was doing above, but rather do this instead:

  pool:
    name: 'mgmt-aks-sandbox'
    demands:
    - agent.name -equals $(projectName)-$(Build.BuildId)

This can be closed unless anyone has any other comments...

[mcgov]

Ah, this is due to nested variable resolution; or the lack thereof. Agent name won't resolve to the value you think it is, in the original it will end up as $(projectName)-$(Build.BuildId)

This still helped me, thank you for raising this issue!

[stale]

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