@Marvin I am unable to overwrite my job variable from the command line. I have a deployment like this:

def deploy_build_and_run(repo_block):
    prefect.flows.Flow.from_source(
        source=repo_block,
        entrypoint='path/to/build_and_run.py:build_and_run',
    ).deploy(
        name='build_and_run',
        work_pool_name='build_pool',
        job_variables={
            "env": {
                "SKIP_BUILD": "False"
            }
        }
    )

I run this command from the command line to try overwriting my job variable:

prefect deployment run build-and-run/build_and_run --job-variable "SKIP_BUILD"="True"

To overwrite job variables from the command line in Prefect 3.x, you should use the

--job-variable

flag correctly. However, it seems there might be a misunderstanding in how the command is being structured or executed. Here's what the documentation suggests: 1. Correct Command Usage: When using the

--job-variable

flag, you should ensure it is structured correctly. The syntax for setting a job variable should follow the format

--job-variable key=value

. 2. Example: Based on your setup, you should run:

bash
   prefect deployment run build-and-run/build_and_run --job-variable "env.SKIP_BUILD=True"

3. Documentation Reference: The Prefect documentation provides guidance on how to override job variables using the CLI. You can find more details here: Customize Infrastructure. If the command is still not working as expected, you might want to ensure that there are no other conflicting settings in your deployment or environment that could be affecting the job variable.

@Marvin This is not very clear in the documentation. Who should I contact to correct this?

If you find the Prefect documentation unclear or lacking, you have a few options to get it addressed: 1. GitHub Issues: You can open an issue in the Prefect GitHub repository to suggest improvements or report unclear documentation. This is a direct way to communicate with the developers and documentation team. 2. Prefect Community Slack: Engage with the community and Prefect team on the Prefect Community Slack. There are channels specifically for discussing documentation and submitting feedback. 3. Prefect Discourse: You can also post on the Prefect Discourse to discuss documentation concerns and get input from other users and the Prefect team. These channels are monitored by the Prefect team, and they are generally responsive to feedback regarding documentation improvements.

@Marvin It seems I still have this issue. I am accessing my job variables with

os.environ.get["SKIP_BUILD"]

. When I print it out, it appears the value remains

"False"

. Is this the right way to access it if I set the job variable using the flag

--flag "env.SKIP_BUILD=True"

?

When accessing job variables set via the

--job-variable

flag in Prefect, they should indeed be available as environment variables during the flow run. However, to access them correctly, ensure that you're using the right method to retrieve environment variables. In Python, you should access environment variables using

os.environ.get("VARIABLE_NAME")

(note the use of parentheses instead of square brackets). Here's how you should do it:

python
import os

skip_build = os.environ.get("SKIP_BUILD")
print(skip_build)

If you are still seeing

"False"

, it might be due to: - The command-line flag not being applied correctly. - The environment variable not being set due to a misconfiguration in the deployment or execution environment. Make sure that the command line you are using is correctly structured as follows:

bash
prefect deployment run build-and-run/build_and_run --job-variable "env.SKIP_BUILD=True"

For more details on job variables and environment variables in Prefect 3.x, you can refer to the Prefect documentation on customizing infrastructure.