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Setting strategy.matrix.value to expression throws invalid type error
Getting "Invalid type found: array was expected but string was found" at matrix: value: ${{fromJson(needs.setup.outputs.matrix)}}
Any ${{}} expression fails. Only [] is allowed now, with at least one value. But the value cannot be an expression.
`name: Test Matrix
on: workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
setup: runs-on: ubuntu-latest outputs: matrix: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.value }} steps: - id: matrix run: | echo '::set-output name=value::["a", "b", "c"]' build: needs: [ setup ] runs-on: ubuntu-latest strategy: matrix: value: ${{fromJson(needs.setup.outputs.matrix)}} steps: - run: | echo "${{ matrix.value }}"`
Hi @pakalas,
Thanks for opening this issue and relating it to the previous one. We will try to reproduce it to understand the cause of the issue and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
Hi @pakalas,
Could you please tell me, if you commit your workflow with the "syntax error", does the action start? In other words, a syntax error is shown in the editor, but when it is committed, actions specified by the "invalid" YAML are performed?
When I reproduced it, actions were executed. The only problem was that, while editing the file in-browser editor, a syntax error was shown, but after committing it, the workflow was executed without problems.
Can you please tell me if that is the case with your workflow as well?
@nikola-jokic The same issue I too get, the editor shows syntax error but after commiting the file actions execute and workflow fails with error as below:
ERROR when evaluating ‘strategy’ for ‘Test-Actions’. .github/workflows/main.yml (Line:33, col: 15): Unexpected type of value ‘false’, expected type: Mapping.
Hi @ag-monk,
Could you please provide an example of your workflow file so I can take a look? While investigating this, I used workflow file:
name: build
on: push
jobs:
job1:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.value }}
steps:
- id: set-matrix
run: echo "::set-output name=value::['a','b','c']"
job2:
needs: job1
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
value: ${{fromJSON(needs.job1.outputs.matrix)}}
steps:
- run: echo "${{ matrix.value }}"
Also, please keep in mind this example: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/expressions#example-returning-a-json-object.
Both of them worked so there might be some issues within your definition that are causing this syntax error.
Hi everyone,
Since there is no response for a while, and this does not seem to be a runner error, I will now close this issue. And about this red underline inside the in-browser editor, please post this to GitHub Community Support Forum, which is actively monitored. Using the forum ensures that we route your problem to the correct team.
Im fighting with this as well. If I change matrix.regions over to the output of my script, it works. If I leave the output of the regions variable from the last job, it errors out. It seems it does not like it when wrapped in single quotes?
[Pre-Setup : .github#L1] Error when evaluating 'strategy' for job 'Deploy-ECR'. (Line: 45, Col: 18): Unexpected value '[us-east-1, us-east-2, us-west-2]'
strategy: matrix: regions: ${{ needs.Pre-Setup.outputs.regions }}
Hi @bragdonjm,
I am not sure if I understand you correctly, but if an array is being wrapped around with the ('), that makes it a string, which is not an expected type. But if I did not understand you correctly, could you please provide me with an example, so I can look at it?
Hello @nikola-jokic Thanks for the response. No matter how I controlled the output, and modified the echo, it's like actions is wrapping the single quote not the thing producing the output. The only way I found around this was to change the return into Jason and import the matrix from Jason.
For sure, you are completely right. Because of it, you should always use fromJSON. We have a similar situation with declaring booleans in inputs. They will be treated as strings, so fromJSON is there to help you parse it to the data type which will be accepted.
@nikola-jokic thanks for the fast responses. I hope someone finds these posts after spending some time searching and trial and error and figures out fromJSON is the key! thanks!
Hi @bragdonjm,
I will file an issue and a PR in the future, updating the docs to help with this problem 😊
I'm getting the invalid type error when attempting to add the example:
Invalid type found: object was expected but string was found
jobs:
job1:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
steps:
- id: set-matrix
run: echo "::set-output name=matrix::{\"include\":[{\"project\":\"foo\",\"config\":\"Debug\"},{\"project\":\"bar\",\"config\":\"Release\"}]}"
job2:
needs: job1
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix: ${{fromJson(needs.job1.outputs.matrix)}}
steps:
- run: echo hello
Yeah, its the nested bracket I think. There is probably a better way to do it but the way I handle it right now is generate a map in a flat plane and repeat it within the matrix. I cannot remember if its a listed set of maps or just straight maps. so either: [{"Name" : "Jeff", "Age": "109"}, {"Name": "John", "Age": "42"}] or just {"Name" : "Jeff", "Age": "109"}, {"Name": "John", "Age": "42"}. This would run two instances of Job2 both with access with the matrixed data. If you want a better example shoot me a contact.
@bragdonjm I have a job that pulls PR from github and sorts them into different types of prs based on their labels. I am trying to get the values into an object that I can parse through in job2
I keep getting 1 of several syntax errors....either unexpected value string, or unexpected token ':'
Here is job1. The commented out echo commands at the bottom are different ways I have tried to extract the values I need
job1:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.fetch-branch-names.outputs.values}}
steps:
- name: Fetch branch names
id: fetch-branch-names
uses: actions/github-script@v6
with:
github-token: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
script: |
const pulls = github.paginate call to my repo to return the prs.
const uiBranches=[];
const apiBranches = [];
let uiPrs = [];
let apiPrs=[];
for (const pull of pulls) {
const branch = pull['head']['ref'];
let isUIPr = false
let isAPIPr = false
for (const label of pull.labels){
if(label.name == 'component:ui'){
isUIPr = true
}
if(label.name == 'component:api'){
isAPIPr = true
}
}
if (branch.startsWith('dependabot')) {
if(isUIPr){
uiBranches.push(branch)
uiPrs.push('#' + pull['number'] + ' ' + pull['title']);
}
if(isAPIPr){
apiBranches.push(branch)
apiPrs.push('#' + pull['number'] + ' ' + pull['title']);
}
}
}
if (uiBranches.length == 0 && apiBranches.length == 0) {
core.setFailed('No PRs/branches matched criteria');
return;
}
const uiPrStrings = uiPrs.join('\n')
const apiPrStrings = apiPrs.join('\n')
const uiCombinedBranches = uiBranches.join(' ')
const apiCombinedBranches = apiBranches.join(' ')
# echo '::set-output name=values::{\"values\":[{\"branches\": $uiCombinedBranches, \"prStrings\": $uiPrStrings, \"combinedBranchName\": \"UIDependencyUpgrade\",\"label\": \"component:ui\"}, {\"branches\": $apiCombinedBranches, \"prStrings\": $apiPrStrings, \"combinedBranchName\": \"APIDependencyUpgrade\", \"label\":\"component:api\"}]}'
# core.setOutput('values', [{branches: uiCombinedBranches, prStrings: uiPrStrings, combinedBranchName: 'UIDependencyUpgrade',label: "component:ui"}, {branches: apiCombinedBranches, prStrings: apiPrStrings, combinedBranchName: 'APIDependencyUpgrade', label:"component:api"}])
Any ideas here?
@bskiefer it works fine if you pull out the include: key from your manual json. e.g.
jobs:
job1:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
steps:
- id: set-matrix
run: echo "::set-output name=matrix::[{\"project\":\"foo\",\"config\":\"Debug\"},{\"project\":\"bar\",\"config\":\"Release\"}]"
job2:
needs: job1
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
include: ${{fromJson(needs.job1.outputs.matrix)}}
steps:
- run: echo hello
I am trying the exact sample on the doc here but looks like it matrix is not picking up the json abject.
Yes I am also facing the same problem as [ashish-raj-wenovate] faced.
Hi @nikola-jokic
i also hit this problem and all examples in this issue like you mention in comment or from doc fail with error Invalid type found: array was expected but string was found
can you reopen this issue thanks
hi,
seems to be a bug and it did fail until I rewrote every line manually with all the correct indentations and spaces
also i found out that if you copy-paste it from somewhere it does not run
seems to me that there are hidden chars while copypasting
i ignored the error 'invalid type found: array was expected but string was found' and continued it might a case of incorrect indentations and spaces , not sure, if so its a bug for sure.
still error should not appear while editing
my account.txt file is:
1111111 2222222
jobs:
list-manifests:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- id: set-matrix
run: echo "::set-output name=matrix::$(cat accounts.txt | jq -R -s -c 'split("\n")[:-1]')"
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
check:
needs: [list-manifests]
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
manifest: ${{ fromJson(needs.list-manifests.outputs.matrix) }}
steps:
- name: test
run: |
echo ${{ matrix.manifest }}
shell: bash
I was getting this error, and found this: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26284#discussioncomment-3251198
It seems like you need to remove all line breaks and spaces in the output.
Not Working -
clouds=$(cat config.json | jq '.cloudNickname' | jq 'keys')
Working -
clouds=$(echo $(cat config.json | jq '.cloudNickname' | jq 'keys' ) | sed 's/ //g')
CI: .github#L1
Error when evaluating 'strategy' for job 'matrix-job'. .github/workflows/changed.yaml (Line: 25, Col: 15): Unexpected type of value '{"chart":["http-headers"]}', expected type: Mapping.
What's wrong? Looks like Mapping to me.
Unexpected type of value '{"chart":["http-headers"]}', expected type: Mapping.
This was driving me crazy, originally I was using cat and jq together to get the content into a string:
cat releases.json | jq 'tostring' and then adding it to the GITHUB_OUTPUT:
echo "matrix=$(cat releases.json | jq 'tostring')" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
but when I ran the workflow I always got this error:
Unexpected type of value '[{"name":"XXX","ip_address":"XXX"},{"name":"XXX","ip_address":"XXX"}]', expected type: Sequence.
Note: I've been using the include property when defining the matrix.
Anyways, for some reason a pair of single quotes were added even removing with sed threw another error message:
Error parsing fromJson,.github/workflows/XXX.yaml (Line: 164, Col: 18): Invalid property identifier character: \. Path '[0]', line 1, position 2.,.github/workflows/XXX.yaml (Line: 164, Col: 18): Unexpected type of value '', expected type: Sequence.
The solution that I found was to use a multiline string, e.g.:
steps:
- name: Get JSON content
id: get-json-content
run: |
echo 'JSON_CONTENT<<EOF' >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
cat releases.json >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
echo 'EOF' >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
outputs:
new_content: ${{ steps.get-json-content.outputs.JSON_CONTENT }}
Job using matrix:
matrix_job_test:
name: Matrix job test
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
needs: test_job
strategy:
matrix:
include: ${{ fromJSON(needs.test_job.outputs.new_content) }}
steps:
- run: |
echo $STACK_NAME
echo $STACK_IP
env:
STACK_NAME: ${{ matrix.name }}
STACK_IP: ${{ matrix.ip_address }}
In case someone wonder, this is the JSON content structure:
[
{
"name": "string",
"ip_address": "string"
},
{
"name": "string",
"ip_address": "string"
}
]
I hope this helps other people, cheers!
I have been looking around for this issue for a couple of days now. This works but have to use this bodge as workaround. Thanks so much javierlga Javier Lizarraga
I used this to grab only unique directories from changed actions
changed-files:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
name: Test changed-files
outputs:
matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
any_changed: ${{ steps.changed-files-specific.outputs.any_changed }}
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
with:
fetch-depth: 0
- name: Check changed charts
id: changed-files-specific
uses: tj-actions/[email protected]
with:
files: |
charts/**
json: true
- id: set-matrix
if: steps.changed-files-specific.outputs.any_changed == 'true'
run: |
set -eux
DATA=$(echo ${{ steps.changed-files-specific.outputs.all_changed_files }} | jq -c '. | map(split("/")[1]) | unique')
echo "matrix=$DATA" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
Is there any intention to fix this or make the documentation on it intuitive at all?
I don't even see how this got into general availability. It's clearly barely been tested
I found a fix: you need to add [ ' *** ' ]
steps:
- id: Log
run: |
echo "matrix=['$input']" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
env:
input: ${{ github.event.inputs.platform }}
I'm having the same issue.
Error when evaluating 'strategy' for job 'disable-replication'. .github/workflows/deploy.yml : Error parsing fromJson,.github/workflows/deploy.yml : Error reading JToken from JsonReader. Path '', line 0, position 0.,.github/workflows/deploy.yml : Unexpected type of value '', expected type: Sequence.
disable-replication:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
server: ${{ fromJson(vars.SERVERS_JSON) }}
steps:
- name: Hello world
run: echo ${{ matrix.server.name }}
My SERVERS_JSON variable looks like this:
[
{
"name": "backend",
"host": "backend.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
},
{
"name": "frontend-a",
"host": "frontend-a.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
},
{
"name": "frontend-b",
"host": "frontend-b.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
}
]
I also tried to change it to a oneliner JSON:
[{"name":"backend","host":"backend.example.com","user":"www-example"},{"name":"frontend-a","host":"frontend-a.example.com","user":"www-example"},{"name":"frontend-b","host":"frontend-b.example.com","user":"www-example"}]
But that did not resolve it either.
When I change my job to inline the array, everything works fine.
Inlined working example
disable-replication:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
strategy:
matrix:
server: [
{
"name": "backend",
"host": "backend.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
},
{
"name": "frontend-a",
"host": "frontend-a.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
},
{
"name": "frontend-b",
"host": "frontend-b.example.com",
"user": "www-example"
}
]
steps:
- name: Hello world
run: echo ${{ matrix.server.name }}
Workaround
It seems the workaround mentioned by javierlga works. When you create the matrix json in another job, things work fine.
+create-server-matrix:
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+ outputs:
+ server-matrix: ${{ steps.create-server-matrix.outputs.SERVER_MATRIX }}
+ container: debian:bullseye-slim
+ steps:
+ - name: Install jq
+ run: apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y jq
+
+ - name: Create server matrix
+ id: create-server-matrix
+ env:
+ SERVERS_JSON: ${{ vars.SERVERS_JSON }}
+ run: echo "SERVER_MATRIX=$(echo "$SERVERS_JSON" | jq -r 'tostring')" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
disable-replication:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+ needs: [ create-server-matrix ]
strategy:
matrix:
- server: ${{ fromJson(vars.SERVERS_JSON) }}
+ server: ${{ fromJson(needs.create-server-matrix.outputs.server-matrix) }}
steps:
- name: Hello world
run: echo ${{ matrix.server.name }}
Took me a bit, but got this working (relevant snippets):
Constructing an array in one job (files here is a newline separated list of files):
outputs:
job_files_changed_array: ${{ steps.job_files_changed.outputs.files }}
...
fmt="$(echo -n "${files}" | paste -sd ',' - | sed -e 's/,/", "/g')"
echo 'files=["'"${fmt}"'"]' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
Using the array in another:
strategy:
matrix:
value: ${{ fromJson(needs.changed.outputs.job_files_changed_array) }}
I took a detour to convert that into a string:
JSON="["
for file in ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.all_changed_files }}; do
dir="$(cut -d'/' -f2 <<<"$file")" # always get the secondary folder
JSONline="\"$dir\","
# we don't need to iterate on the same directory over and over, so
# only include it when it wasn't included
if [[ "$JSON" != *"$JSONline"* ]]; then
JSON="$JSON$JSONline"
fi
done
# Remove last "," and add the closing bracket
if [[ $JSON == *, ]]; then
JSON="${JSON%?}"
fi
JSON="$JSON]"
echo "folders=$( echo "$JSON" )" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
echo $JSON
In the following job(s), if they are going to use metrix strategy, do
strategy:
matrix:
folder: ${{ fromJSON(needs.detect-changed-files.outputs.matrix) }}
