Azure Pipeline templates allow you to remove duplication in your Azure Pipeline definition through two mechanisms. With "includes" templates, you can reference a template such that it will expand inline like a parameterized C++ macro, allowing a simple way of factoring out common configuration across stages, jobs and steps. With "extends" templates, you can define an outer shell with common pipeline configuration, and with the required template approval, you can fail the build if the pipeline doesn't extend certain templates, preventing malicious attacks against the pipeline configuration itself. Along with CircleCI Orbs and the newer GitHub Actions Reusable Workflows, Azure Pipeline templates are part of the trend of creating modularity in pipeline design across multiple platforms, and several of our teams have been happy using them.
