how to set/use env variable in github actions? - environment-variables

Question

I would like to use path location in several steps in github action. I tried to follow "DAY_OF_WEEK" example, but my test failed:
name: env_test
on:
workflow_dispatch:
push:
branches: [ "main" ]
env:
ILOC: d:/a/destination/
jobs:
build:
runs-on: windows-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout#v3
- name: Setup Instalation Location
shell: cmd
run: |
echo "just iloc"
echo "${ILOC}"
echo "env"
echo env.ILOC
mkdir "${ILOC}"
Here is relevant part of log:
Run echo "just iloc"
echo "just iloc"
echo "${ILOC}"
echo "env"
echo env.ILOC
mkdir "${ILOC}"
shell: C:\Windows\system32\cmd.EXE /D /E:ON /V:OFF /S /C "CALL "{0}""
env:
ILOC: d:/a/local
"just iloc"
"${ILOC}"
"env"
env.ILOC
'#' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
'#' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.
So how to properly set GA global variable?

Answer 1

it looks like you are properly setting it, only the way its accessed needs attention:
1 name: learn_to_use_actions
2
3 on:
4 push
5
6 env:
7 MYVAR: d:/a/destination/
8 jobs:
9 learn:
10 name: use env
11 runs-on: ubuntu-latest
12 steps:
13 - name: print env
14 if: ${{ env.MYVAR == 'TEST' }}
15 run: |
16 echo "the var was detected to be test = " $MYVAR
17
18 - name: other print env
19 if: ${{ env.MYVAR != 'TEST' }}
20 run: |
21 echo "the var was NOT detected to be test = " $MYVAR
when using inside a conditional, the whole test has to be escaped like:
${{ env.MYVAR != 'TEST' }}
when using in a command, it looks like like a nix env var like:
echo "the var was detected to be test = " $MYVAR