> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://bazel-flags-doc.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# template\_ctx

A context object that is passed to the action template expansion function.

## Members

* [args](#args)
* [declare\_file](#declare_file)
* [run](#run)

## args

```
Args template_ctx.args()
```

Returns an Args object that can be used to build memory-efficient command lines.

## declare\_file

```
File template_ctx.declare_file(filename, *, directory)
```

Declares that implementation creates a file with the given filename within the specified directory.

Remember that in addition to declaring a file, you must separately create an action that emits the file. Creating that action will require passing the returned `File` object to the action's construction function.

### Parameters

ParameterDescription`filename`[string](../core/string.html);
required

The relative path of the file within the directory.
`directory`[File](../builtins/File.html);
required

The directory in which the file should be created.

## run

```
None template_ctx.run(*, outputs, inputs=[], executable, tools=None, arguments=[], progress_message=None)
```

Creates an action that runs an executable.

### Parameters

ParameterDescription`outputs`[sequence](../core/list.html) of [File](../builtins/File.html) s;
required

List of the output files of the action.
`inputs`[sequence](../core/list.html) of [File](../builtins/File.html) s; or [depset](../builtins/depset.html);
default is `[]`

List or depset of the input files of the action.
`executable`[File](../builtins/File.html); or [string](../core/string.html); or [FilesToRunProvider](../providers/FilesToRunProvider.html);
required

The executable file to be called by the action.
`tools`[sequence](../core/list.html); or [depset](../builtins/depset.html); or `None`;
default is `None`

List or [`depset`](../builtins/depset.html) of any tools needed by the action. Tools are executable inputs that may have their own runfiles which are automatically made available to the action.

When a list is provided, it can be a heterogenous collection of:

* `File` s
* `FilesToRunProvider` instances
* `depset` s of `File` s

`File` s from [`ctx.executable`](../builtins/ctx#executable) and `FilesToRunProvider` s which are directly in the list will have their runfiles automatically added. All tools are implicitly added as inputs.

`arguments`[sequence](../core/list.html);
default is `[]`

Command line arguments of the action. Must be a list of strings or [`actions.args()`](#args) objects.
`progress_message`[string](../core/string.html); or `None`;
default is `None`

Progress message to show to the user during the build.