Dec 8, 2021 · Dec 8, 2021
diff --git a/_docs/codefresh-yaml/steps.md b/_docs/codefresh-yaml/steps.md

 ### Exporting parameters manually inside a plugin

 Normally in a pipeline you can either use the [cf_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#using-cf_export-command) command or write directly to the [/codefresh/volume/env_vars_to_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#directly-writing-to-the-file) file.
 Normally, in a pipeline you can either use the [cf_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#using-cf_export-command) command or write directly to the [/codefresh/volume/env_vars_to_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#directly-writing-to-the-file) file.

 However inside a plugin you can also use the `/meta/env_vars_to_export` file that has the same semantics, but is used for exporting variables in the same scope as the plugin only.
 However, inside a plugin you can also use the `/meta/env_vars_to_export` file that has the same semantics, but is used for exporting variables in the same scope as the plugin only.

 The rules for using `/meta/env_vars_to_export` are:
 - When the step-type (plugin) does not define the `return` schema, all the output variables from substeps will be projected and exported as the root step (they may override each other).
 - When `return` schema is defined, only the variables that matched the definition will be exported as root step.

 `plugin.yaml`
 {% highlight yaml %}
 {% raw %}
 version: '1.0'
 kind: step-type
 metadata:
  name: <account_name>/my-step
  ...
 spec:
  arguments: |-
    {
      ...
    }
  returns: |-
    {
      "definitions": {},
      "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
      "type": "object",
      "additionalProperties": true,
      "patterns": [],
      "required": [
        "ROOT_VAR"
      ]
      ,
      "properties": {
          "ROOT_VAR": {
              "type": "string",
              "description": "an example variable"
          }
      }
    }
  steps:
    export_my_variable:
       title: "Exporting custom variable"
       image: alpine
       commands:
         - echo MY_PLUGIN_VAR=SAMPLE_VALUE >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
         - echo PLUGIN_VAR=Alice >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
         - echo ROOT_VAR=Bob >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
    read_my_variable:
       title: "Reading custom variable"
       image: alpine
       commands:
         - echo $MY_PLUGIN_VAR
         - source /meta/env_vars_to_export
         - echo $PLUGIN_VAR #Alice
         - echo $ROOT_VAR #Bob
 {% endraw %}
 {% endhighlight %}


 `codefresh.yaml`
 {% highlight yaml %}
 {% raw %}
 version: '1.0'
 steps:
  plugin:
    type: <account_name>/my-step
  echo:
    image: alpine
    commands:
      - echo $PLUGIN_VAR #empty
      - echo $ROOT_VAR #Bob
 {% endraw %}
 {% endhighlight %}
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -951,23 +951,75 @@ This was a trivial example, but it clearly demonstrates how a custom step commun

		### Exporting parameters manually inside a plugin

		Normally in a pipeline you can either use the [cf_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#using-cf_export-command) command or write directly to the [/codefresh/volume/env_vars_to_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#directly-writing-to-the-file) file.
		Normally, in a pipeline you can either use the [cf_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#using-cf_export-command) command or write directly to the [/codefresh/volume/env_vars_to_export]({{site.baseurl}}/docs/codefresh-yaml/variables/#directly-writing-to-the-file) file.

		However inside a plugin you can also use the `/meta/env_vars_to_export` file that has the same semantics, but is used for exporting variables in the same scope as the plugin only.
		However, inside a plugin you can also use the `/meta/env_vars_to_export` file that has the same semantics, but is used for exporting variables in the same scope as the plugin only.

		The rules for using `/meta/env_vars_to_export` are:
		- When the step-type (plugin) does not define the `return` schema, all the output variables from substeps will be projected and exported as the root step (they may override each other).
		- When `return` schema is defined, only the variables that matched the definition will be exported as root step.

		`plugin.yaml`
		{% highlight yaml %}
		{% raw %}
		version: '1.0'
		kind: step-type
		metadata:
		name: <account_name>/my-step
		...
		spec:
		arguments: \|-
		{
		...
		}
		returns: \|-
		{
		"definitions": {},
		"$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
		"type": "object",
		"additionalProperties": true,
		"patterns": [],
		"required": [
		"ROOT_VAR"
		]
		,
		"properties": {
		"ROOT_VAR": {
		"type": "string",
		"description": "an example variable"
		}
		}
		}
		steps:
		export_my_variable:
		title: "Exporting custom variable"
		image: alpine
		commands:
		- echo MY_PLUGIN_VAR=SAMPLE_VALUE >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
		- echo PLUGIN_VAR=Alice >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
		- echo ROOT_VAR=Bob >> /meta/env_vars_to_export
		read_my_variable:
		title: "Reading custom variable"
		image: alpine
		commands:
		- echo $MY_PLUGIN_VAR
		- source /meta/env_vars_to_export
		- echo $PLUGIN_VAR #Alice
		- echo $ROOT_VAR #Bob
		{% endraw %}
		{% endhighlight %}


		`codefresh.yaml`
		{% highlight yaml %}
		{% raw %}
		version: '1.0'
		steps:
		plugin:
		type: <account_name>/my-step
		echo:
		image: alpine
		commands:
		- echo $PLUGIN_VAR #empty
		- echo $ROOT_VAR #Bob
		{% endraw %}
		{% endhighlight %}

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