> ## Documentation Index
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# 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

| Parameter   | Description                                                                                                    |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `filename`  | [string](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/string); required  The relative path of the file within the directory. |
| `directory` | [File](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/File); 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

| Parameter          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `outputs`          | [sequence](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/list) of [File](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/File)s; required  List of the output files of the action.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| `inputs`           | [sequence](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/list) of [File](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/File)s; or [depset](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/depset); default is `[]`  List or depset of the input files of the action.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| `executable`       | [File](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/File); or [string](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/string); or [FilesToRunProvider](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/providers/FilesToRunProvider); required  The executable file to be called by the action.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `tools`            | [sequence](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/list); or [depset](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/depset); or `None`; default is `None`  List or [`depset`](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/builtins/depset) 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`](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/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](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/list); default is `[]`  Command line arguments of the action. Must be a list of strings or [`actions.args()`](#args) objects.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| `progress_message` | [string](/versions/9.0.0/rules/lib/core/string); or `None`; default is `None`  Progress message to show to the user during the build.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |