Answers: <p>The GitLab file variable name isn't the path to the file. <strong>It's the name of an environmental variable that stores the path to the file</strong>. Either way you'll have to move the key to where you want the file stored.</p>
  <p>Let's say you set this in the GitLab UI,</p>
  <pre><code>MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE=contents
  </code></pre>
  <p>When that gets run <code>MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE</code> will be some long and random path name on the runner. You'll have to run this in a CI job to get that file where you want.</p>
  <pre><code>mv $MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE /my/desired/path
  </code></pre>
  
Answers: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers: 2023-04-11T16:10:57.177Z
Answers: 2023-04-11T16:10:57.177Z
Answers: Evan Carroll
Answers: <p>I used double __ and renamed them to dots during the pipeline process.
  Its not ideal but works</p>
  <p><code>env |sed 's/__/./g' &gt; application.properties</code></p>
  
Answers: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers: 2023-09-21T06:54:59.477Z
Answers: 2023-09-21T06:54:59.477Z
Answers: Malan
Body: <p>I have a file called <code>.auto.tfvars</code> that I want to use to set some Terraform variables in an CI run, however when I try to add it, I get a popup called,</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Variables key can contain only letters, digits and '_'.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Looking at the documentation for <a href="https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#use-file-type-cicd-variables" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GitLab CI/CD variables</a>, I don't see this restriction mentioned nor a workaround.</p>
  
Tags: <gitlab>
Title: GitLab file variable with a dot or period `.` in its name?
UserDisplayName: Evan Carroll
ThreadText: # GitLab file variable with a dot or period `.` in its name?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-10)
  
  I have a file called `.auto.tfvars` that I want to use to set some Terraform variables in an CI run, however when I try to add it, I get a popup called,
  
  > Variables key can contain only letters, digits and '\_'.
  
  Looking at the documentation for [GitLab CI/CD variables](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#use-file-type-cicd-variables), I don't see this restriction mentioned nor a workaround.
  
  **Tags:** gitlab
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2023-04-11. Score: 0 | Accepted answer
  
  The GitLab file variable name isn't the path to the file. **It's the name of an environmental variable that stores the path to the file**. Either way you'll have to move the key to where you want the file stored.
  
  Let's say you set this in the GitLab UI,
  
  ```
  MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE=contents
  
  ```
  
  When that gets run `MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE` will be some long and random path name on the runner. You'll have to run this in a CI job to get that file where you want.
  
  ```
  mv $MYGITLAB_FILE_VARIABLE /my/desired/path
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-09-21. Score: 0
  
  I used double \_\_ and renamed them to dots during the pipeline process.
  Its not ideal but works
  
  `env |sed 's/__/./g' > application.properties`
  
  
  ---
  
  