Flexibility in the use of tags using matrix

[bruno561]

Currently I use this custom action in a reusable workflow. This reusable workflow is called by a caller workflow that has a matrix.

strategy:
      matrix:
        tags: [{ tag1: "value1", tag2: "value2" }]

In reusable Workflow I use the following scheme:

tags: | 
  - "${{ inputs.tagName1 }}" 
  - "${{ inputs.tagName2 }}"

However, this way you are limited to just two tags, "tagName1" and "tagName2". I believe that because the tags are a list of dictionaries. Is there any workaround for this situation?

P.S.: Of all the metadata fields, it's the only one that I can't make flexible using the matrix, that is, include the number of tags I want in the matrix, without having to change the schema.

[manchicken]

Do you have a sample workflow I can look at, especially if you're using it for other fields? This is certainly something that looks interesting, I'd like to see what I can do to help you here.

[bruno561]

Yep! Basically I followed the README.md and I use a caller workflow with matrix for the variables in the reusable workflow.

    steps:
      ...
      - name: Service Definition
        uses: arcxp/datadog-service-catalog-metadata-provider@v1.x.x
        with:
          ...
          service-name: ${{ inputs.serviceName }}
          team: ${{ inputs.squadName }}
          email: ${{ inputs.emailName }}
          slack-support-channel: ${{ inputs.slackChannelName }}
          docs: |
            - name: Documentation
              url: ${{ inputs.docUrl }}
              provider: XPTO
          links: |
            - name: Grafana
              url: ${{ inputs.grafanaUrl }}
              type: url
          repos: |
            - name: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
              url: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/services/${{ inputs.serviceName }}
              provider: GitHub
          tags: |
            - "${{ inputs.tagName1 }}"
            - "${{ inputs.tagName2 }}"

[bruno561]

Do you need Caller Workflow too? @manchicken

[manchicken]

Naw, but if you could give me a complete example with matrix, that would be helpful. Even if it doesn't work, I'm just trying to see how you envision this working.

If you could give me a complete example with any sensitive information redacted that would be super helpful.

[bruno561]

@manchicken

name: caller_workflow
...
jobs:
  create-service-definition:
    strategy:
      matrix:
        service: [something]
        squad: [something]
        email: [something@something.com]
        slack-channel: ["something"]
        docs: ["something"]
        links: ["something"]
        tags: [{tag1: "key1:something", tag2: "key2:something"}]
      fail-fast: false
    uses: reusable_workflow@main
    secrets: inherit
    with:
      serviceName: ${{ matrix.service }}
      squadName: ${{ matrix.squad }}
      emailName: ${{ matrix.email }}
      slackChannelName: ${{ matrix.slack-channel }}
      docUrl: ${{ matrix.docs }}
      grafanaUrl: ${{ matrix.links }}
      tagName1: ${{ matrix.tags.tag1 }}
      tagName2: ${{ matrix.tags.tag2 }}

In this example, if I need a third tag, I need to edit my Reusable Workflow by putting:

          tags: |
            - "${{ inputs.tagName3 }}"

So, this makes it inflexible when working with the matrix. The idea of working with the matrix is that each service can have a number of different tags. Example service 1 has 2 tags. Service 2 has 3 tags. Services 3 has 5 tags.

The matrix works perfectly when we work with other attributes, such as services. That is, in the Reusable Workflow I only need to put this service-name: ${{ inputs.serviceName }} and I can put as many services as I want in the Caller Workflow.

[manchicken]

Didn't you say there was a matrix? I'm sorry if I'm misremembering.

Thanks, this should be good. I'll dig in.

[manchicken]

Oooh, I think I figured out the issue! I think it's that your shape is weird.

Remember that the inputs are actually scalar strings, not nested Objects, in how they're expressed in your workflow. I'll add this to documentation, and also add a test to show how this should be done. Give me a few and I'll have something.

[bruno561]

Nice! And is there a way to work with tags in a flexible way using this presented model? Something like for example:

    strategy:
      matrix:
        tags: [{tag1: "key1:something", tag2: "key2:something", tag3: "key3:something"}]

    with:
      tagName: ${{ matrix.tags.tag }}

Reusable workflow:

on: 
  workflow_call:
    inputs:
      tagName:
        required: true
        type: string

          tags: |
            - "${{ inputs.tagName }}"

[manchicken]

@bruno561, I have another question: what is your matrix for here? Are you only using this to make multiple service definitions in the same workflow?

[bruno561]

Yep! @manchicken

    strategy:
      matrix:
        service: [something]
        squad: [something]
        email: [something@something.com]
        slack-channel: ["https://something.slack.com/archives/something"]
        docs: ["https://something.com"]
        links: ["https://something.com"]
        tags:
          - |
            - tag1: value1
              tag2: value2
              tag3: value3
      fail-fast: false
    uses: reusable_workflow@main
    secrets: inherit
    with:
      serviceName: ${{ matrix.service }}
      squadName: ${{ matrix.squad }}
      emailName: ${{ matrix.email }}
      slackChannelName: ${{ matrix.slack-channel }}
      docUrl: ${{ matrix.docs }}
      grafanaUrl: ${{ matrix.links }}
      tagName: ${{ matrix.tags }}

Reusable Workflow

          tags: |
            - ${{ inputs.tagName }}

[bruno561]

I also tried with - but the workflow breaks:

        tags:
          - |
            - tag1: value1
            - tag2: value2

Error: Failed to register service with DataDog. Status Code: 400 Body: {"errors":["Bad Request"],"error_details":[{}]}

[manchicken]

Word. I'll look into this and test it. Thanks for that.

Can you give me the full (but redacted) workflow that gave you that error? While I don't think that your use case is one I would encourage, it's not something I want to break.

[bruno561]

@manchicken it worked that way for me (code below). I just needed to transform it into JSON format to put it in the matrix. Thank you very much for all support! 😃

        tags:
          - |
            - tag1:value1
            - tag2:value2

[manchicken]

Yay! Well-done friend!