Step Outputs

Writing Outputs

Any step with an id: can produce key-value outputs by appending to the $GITHUB_OUTPUT file:

- name: Detect version
  id: version
  run: |
    VER=$(git describe --tags --always)
    echo "tag=$VER" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"

The format is key=value, one per line.

Reading Outputs

Later steps in the same job can read outputs using expression syntax:

- name: Use version
  run: echo "Building ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}"

Athanor replaces ${{ steps.<id>.outputs.<key> }} with the corresponding value before executing the script.

Multiple Outputs

A single step can write multiple outputs:

- id: meta
  run: |
    echo "name=athanor" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
    echo "version=0.1.0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
    echo "commit=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"

- run: echo "${{ steps.meta.outputs.name }} ${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"

How It Works Internally

Before each step, Athanor creates a temp file and sets the GITHUB_OUTPUT environment variable to its path
The step script appends key=value lines to this file
After the step exits, Athanor reads the file and records the outputs
Expression patterns in subsequent steps are expanded via string replacement

Only the $\{{ steps.ID.outputs.KEY }} expression pattern is currently supported. Full GitHub Actions expression evaluation (env.*, github.*, functions like contains(), toJSON(), etc.) is not yet implemented.

Limitations

Outputs are scoped to a single job. You cannot reference outputs from a step in a different job.
Multiline values are not supported (only single-line key=value)
$GITHUB_ENV and $GITHUB_PATH are not supported

Getting Started

Guides

Reference

Writing Outputs

Reading Outputs

Multiple Outputs

How It Works Internally

Limitations

​Writing Outputs

​Reading Outputs

​Multiple Outputs

​How It Works Internally

​Limitations

Writing Outputs

Reading Outputs

Multiple Outputs

How It Works Internally

Limitations