Relationship cannot parse dynamic category ids

[jamesseavers]

Description of the problem

When using the relationship field the category parameter can only accept a hard-coded variable like so:

{related_sessions category="36"}

However, when the category id is passed in as a variable, say from php or by a tested mod result like:

{related_sessions category="{exp:sym_eventcycles:get_year_id}"}

OR

{related_sessions category="<?php echo $year_cat_id; ?>"}

Both of these variables are tested and work as expect in parent tags.

The following error is shown:

InvalidArgumentException Caught

Payload cannot be retrieved.

ee/legacy/libraries/datastructures/Tree.php:173

Stack Trace: Please include when reporting this error

#0 ee/legacy/libraries/relationship_parser/Nodes.php(181): EE_TreeNode->__get('parser')
#1 ee/legacy/libraries/channel_entries_parser/Parser.php(339): ParseNode->callback_tagdata_loop_end('', Array)
#2 ee/legacy/libraries/Channel_entries_parser.php(172): EE_Channel_data_parser->parse(Array, Array)
#3 ee/legacy/libraries/relationship_parser/Parser.php(245): EE_Channel_parser->parse(Object(Channel), Array, Array)
#4 ee/legacy/libraries/relationship_parser/Parser.php(209): EE_Relationship_data_parser->replace(Object(ParseNode), '{related_sessio...', Array)
#5 ee/legacy/libraries/relationship_parser/Parser.php(90): EE_Relationship_data_parser->parse_node(Object(ParseNode), 1950, '\n\n{layout:set n...')
#6 ee/legacy/libraries/channel_entries_parser/components/Relationship.php(124): EE_Relationship_data_parser->parse(1950, '\n\n{layout:set n...', Object(Channel))
#7 ee/legacy/libraries/channel_entries_parser/Parser.php(291): EE_Channel_relationship_parser->replace('\n\n{layout:set n...', Object(EE_Channel_data_parser), Object(EE_Relationship_data_parser))
#8 ee/legacy/libraries/Channel_entries_parser.php(172): EE_Channel_data_parser->parse(Array, Array)
#9 ee/ExpressionEngine/Addons/channel/mod.channel.php(2495): EE_Channel_parser->parse(Object(Channel), Array, Array)
#10 ee/ExpressionEngine/Addons/channel/mod.channel.php(257): Channel->parse_channel_entries()
#11 ee/legacy/libraries/Template.php(1795): Channel->entries()
#12 ee/legacy/libraries/Template.php(1471): EE_Template->process_tags()
#13 ee/legacy/libraries/Template.php(610): EE_Template->tags()
#14 ee/legacy/libraries/Template.php(244): EE_Template->parse('{!-- ra:0000000...', false, 1, false)
#15 ee/legacy/libraries/Template.php(174): EE_Template->fetch_and_parse('listings-detail', Array, false)
#16 ee/legacy/libraries/Core.php(794): EE_Template->run_template_engine('listings-detail', 'speaker')
#17 ee/legacy/controllers/ee.php(53): EE_Core->generate_page()
#18 [internal function]: EE->index()
#19 ee/ExpressionEngine/Core/Core.php(268): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#20 ee/ExpressionEngine/Core/Core.php(124): ExpressionEngine\Core\Core->runController(Array)
#21 ee/ExpressionEngine/Boot/boot.php(184): ExpressionEngine\Core\Core->run(Object(ExpressionEngine\Core\Request))
#22 index.php(164): require_once('...')
#22 index.php(164): require_once('...')

Environment Details:

• Version: 7.2.2 Pro
• PHP Version: 7.4.12
• MySQL Version5.7.32
• OS: Linux
• Web Server: Apache

[jamesseavers]

Just wanted to give this a bump, has anyone seen it?

[intoeetive]

@jamesseavers yes, we have seen it. Not sure whether it should be classified as bug, or limitation - but we have noted it as a thing to consider for improvement on relationship fields. It certainly is related to parsing order, and I think at this point the only way to overcome the limitation would be using embeds.

[jamesseavers]

Good to know. I'll revert to an embed.

[jamesseavers]

Thinking more about this, should a 'limitation' really end in a fatal error?

[intoeetive]

Well, it is limitation in terms that "the tag is not supported to be used that way". So - the error could certainly provide better information, but - this is still supposed to error out

[intoeetive]

@jamesseavers I just tested the below code (PHP on input) on latest EE 7.2.17 and it's working fine. Can you please confirm that you still have this issue?

<?php $cat_id = 1; ?>

{exp:channel:entries channel="blog" entry_id="10"}

{related_post category="<?=$cat_id?>"}
<h4>{related_post:title}</h4>
{/related_post}

{/exp:channel:entries}

[jamesseavers]

@intoeetive Yes, it is still an issue.

[intoeetive]

Can you show how your template looks like? I feel like I must be missing something as I'm not replicating. Also, is PHP set to parse on input?

[jamesseavers]

`

    {related_sessions category="<?php echo $cat_id; ?>" show_future_entries="yes"}
    {if related_sessions:count==1}
    <div class="content-area flexible-element">
        <h4 class="speaker-session-header">{title} is speaking at the following session/s</h4>
        {/if}
        <div class="te-wrapper hi-light-section speaker-detail">
            <h3>{related_sessions:title}</h3>
            {if '{exp:sym_eventcycles:programme_state}' == 'y'}
                <div class="detail-session-info"><div class="detail-session-info-item"><span class="fa-regular fa-calendar"></span>{related_sessions:categories show_group="3"}{category_name}{/related_sessions:categories}</div><div class="detail-session-info-item"><span class="fa-regular fa-clock"></span>{related_sessions:entry_date format="%g:%i%a"} - {related_sessions:end format="%g:%i%a"}</div><div class="detail-session-info-item"><span class="fa-solid fa-location-pin"></span>{if related_sessions:room}Room {related_sessions:room}{/if}</div></div>
            {/if}

            {related_sessions:description}
            <p></p>
            {if related_sessions:session_takeaway}
            <p><strong>Session Takeaway</strong></p>
                {related_sessions:session_takeaway}
            {/if}

            {related_sessions:related_speakers}

            {if related_sessions:related_speakers:count == 1}
            <p style="margin-top: 24px;"><span class="hi-light-copy">Session speakers</span></p>
            <div class="additional-speaker-session">
            {/if}
                <div class="speaker detail-session">
                    <a href="{related_sessions:related_speakers:page_uri}">
                        <div class="speaker-image">
                            <div class="speaker-placeholder"><img src="/assets/images/speaker-placeholder.png" alt="Speaker Placeholder"></div>
                            <div class="speaker-image-inner">
                                <img class="speaker-photo" src="{related_sessions:related_speakers:photo:photo-list}" alt="{related_sessions:related_speakers:title} photo">
                            </div>
                            <img class="speaker-mask" src="/assets/images/speaker-mask.png" alt="Speaker Mask">
                        </div>
                        <div class="speaker-name">{related_sessions:related_speakers:title}</div>
                    </a>
                </div>
                {if related_sessions:related_speakers:count==related_sessions:related_speakers:total_results}
            </div>
            {/if}
            {/related_sessions:related_speakers}
            {related_sessions:categories show_group="2"}
                <div class="session-category"><a class="{category_url_title}" href="/conference-programme/category/{category_url_title}">{category_name}</a></div>
            {/related_sessions:categories}
        </div>
        {if related_sessions:count==related_sessions:total_results}
    </div>
    {/if}
    {/related_sessions}`

Yes, php is set to input.

[intoeetive]

Is {related_sessions:related_speakers} referring to another relationship field in related entry?

[jamesseavers]

Yes, it is.

I pull a single entry from the Speakers channel. I then access their related sessions. Within each related session, I then pull other related speakers to that session.

Does that make sense?

[intoeetive]

Makes sense, but I'm still unable to replicate the issue :)

Looking at the trace you provided though, I see that the error is happening around {layout:set n... part - can you share that one as well? Hit me in Slack or email if you don't want to post the template publicly

[intoeetive]

Noting that I wasn't able to replicate even using same templates and same Channel Sets imported. Will keep open for some time to see if another reports come in