GitHub Alert: Invalid format for environment variable

Question

GitHub Alert: Invalid format for environment variable

I am facing an issue with GitHub action. Despite configuring the README.md via a web browser, I encountered an error in GitHub action:

Run export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
  shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
Error: Unable to process file command 'env' successfully.
Error: Invalid environment variable format 'Indicate that a variable can have the value `null`. Null-Safety is default from version **2.12.0** in the Dart language.'

The error message seems related to the text within the README.md, and regardless of any edits made, it continues to display the same old error. I attempted to search for a solution online but couldn't find anything similar.

My current variable format is as follows:

Null-Safety is enabled by default, indicating that a variable may contain a null value. This change is mandatory in the new Dart language starting from version 2.12.0.

Below is my workflow file:

name: release master branch

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master

jobs:
  build:
    name: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repo
        uses: actions/checkout@master
      - name: install dependencies
        run: npm install
      - name: install vsce
        run: sudo npm install -g vsce
      - name: extract version number
        run: |
          export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
          echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
      - name: package the extension
        run: vsce package
      - name: release package to github repo
        uses: marvinpinto/action-automatic-releases@latest
        with:
          repo_token: '${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}'
          automatic_release_tag: master-v${{ env.BUILD_VERSION }}
          prerelease: true
          title: 'Json to Dart Extension master-v${{ env.BUILD_VERSION }}'
          files: |
            ./json-to-dart-${{ env.BUILD_VERSION }}.vsix

Adding paths ignore does not seem to fix the issue.

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master
    paths-ignore:
      - '**/README.md'

You can access the full code publicly on this repository: https://github.com/hiranthaR/Json-to-Dart-Model

Here's a partial log snapshot:

...
2021-08-02T19:38:38.3085331Z ##[group]Run sudo npm install -g vsce
2021-08-02T19:38:38.3086141Z [36;1msudo npm install -g vsce[0m
2021-08-02T19:38:38.3129504Z shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
2021-08-02T19:38:42.3974877Z /usr/local/bin/vsce -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/vsce/out/vsce
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4134841Z + <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2b5d58484e6b1a05121d051a">[email protected]</a>
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4135550Z added 73 packages from 42 contributors in 3.582s
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4443780Z ##[group]Run export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4444834Z [36;1mexport BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')[0m
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4445782Z [36;1mecho "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV[0m
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4489050Z shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4690016Z ##[error]Unable to process file command 'env' successfully.
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4703378Z ##[error]Invalid environment variable format 'Indicate that a variable can have the value `null`. Null-Safety is default from version **2.12.0** in the Dart language.'
2021-08-02T19:38:42.4890985Z Post job cleanup.
...

json typescript bash github github-actions

Answer 1

Answer №1

If you're looking for an alternative approach, check out the instructions in the documentation for Github Actions available at: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#multiline-strings

Instead of the standard method shown below:

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV

You can employ the multiline string formatting as outlined in the documentation using:

{name}<<{delimiter}
{value}
{delimiter}

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  echo "BUILD_VERSION<<EOFMARKER" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${BUILD_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "EOFMARKER" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}

Note: it's essential to heed the cautionary advice regarding security risks associated with utilizing a constant like EOF as a delimiter here: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/security-hardening-for-github-actions#understanding-the-risk-of-script-injections. Therefore, when dealing with input that may be considered "user-generated," opt for a random data generator as your delimiter, such as:

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  delimiter="$(openssl rand -hex 8)"
  echo "BUILD_VERSION<<${delimiter}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${BUILD_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${delimiter}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}

Answer 2

If you're looking for an alternative approach, check out the instructions in the documentation for Github Actions available at: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#multiline-strings

Instead of the standard method shown below:

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV

You can employ the multiline string formatting as outlined in the documentation using:

{name}<<{delimiter}
{value}
{delimiter}

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  echo "BUILD_VERSION<<EOFMARKER" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${BUILD_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "EOFMARKER" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}

Note: it's essential to heed the cautionary advice regarding security risks associated with utilizing a constant like EOF as a delimiter here: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/security-hardening-for-github-actions#understanding-the-risk-of-script-injections. Therefore, when dealing with input that may be considered "user-generated," opt for a random data generator as your delimiter, such as:

  export BUILD_VERSION=$(grep version package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}')
  delimiter="$(openssl rand -hex 8)"
  echo "BUILD_VERSION<<${delimiter}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${BUILD_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
  echo "${delimiter}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}

Answer 3

Answer №2

The issue at hand is not related to the content of your README.md. Instead, the problem lies in the presence of certain strings containing the word version within your package.json file. These lines are being added to your $GITHUB_ENV file, and all but the first one are causing syntax errors.

BUILD_VERSION=3.2.8
Indicate that a variable can have the value `null`. Null-Safety is default from version **2.12.0** in the Dart language.
Disable ask for confirmation to start the conversion from the file `models.jsonc`.
Default target directory when conversion is from the file `models.jsonc`.

You may want to consider using a more precise regular expression, or as suggested in a previous comment, utilize Awk for filtering which offers greater accuracy. This approach will help eliminate the unnecessary use of grep.

      - name: extract version number
        run: |
          BUILD_VERSION=$(awk -F \" '$2 == "version" {print $4}' package.json)
          echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV

You could simplify this process into a single line; it appears that employing an extra temporary variable was not aiding in debugging (though adding set -x to the shell script snippet might have been helpful).

      - name: extract version number
        run:
          awk -F \" '$2 == "version" {print "BUILD_VERSION=" $4}' package.json >> $GITHUB_ENV

For best practice, it's recommended to use a JSON-specific tool like jq to extract only the version number and avoid extracting any extraneous data.

      - name: extract version number
        run:
          jq -r '"BUILD_VERSION=\(.version)"' package.json >> $GITHUB_ENV

Answer 4

The issue at hand is not related to the content of your README.md. Instead, the problem lies in the presence of certain strings containing the word version within your package.json file. These lines are being added to your $GITHUB_ENV file, and all but the first one are causing syntax errors.

BUILD_VERSION=3.2.8
Indicate that a variable can have the value `null`. Null-Safety is default from version **2.12.0** in the Dart language.
Disable ask for confirmation to start the conversion from the file `models.jsonc`.
Default target directory when conversion is from the file `models.jsonc`.

You may want to consider using a more precise regular expression, or as suggested in a previous comment, utilize Awk for filtering which offers greater accuracy. This approach will help eliminate the unnecessary use of grep.

      - name: extract version number
        run: |
          BUILD_VERSION=$(awk -F \" '$2 == "version" {print $4}' package.json)
          echo "BUILD_VERSION=$BUILD_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV

You could simplify this process into a single line; it appears that employing an extra temporary variable was not aiding in debugging (though adding set -x to the shell script snippet might have been helpful).

      - name: extract version number
        run:
          awk -F \" '$2 == "version" {print "BUILD_VERSION=" $4}' package.json >> $GITHUB_ENV

For best practice, it's recommended to use a JSON-specific tool like jq to extract only the version number and avoid extracting any extraneous data.

      - name: extract version number
        run:
          jq -r '"BUILD_VERSION=\(.version)"' package.json >> $GITHUB_ENV

GitHub Alert: Invalid format for environment variable

Answer №1

Answer №2

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