"is not a method but has arguments" error message is confusing

[willfaught]

With this template:

x {{ .Param "foo" }} y

and this config.yaml:

params:
  foo: bar

I got this error:

EXECUTE-AS-TEMPLATE: failed to transform "foo.html" (text/html) at <.Param>: Param is not a method but has arguments 

I have no idea what this error message means.

What version of Hugo are you using (hugo version)?

$ hugo version
hugo v0.111.3+extended darwin/amd64 BuildDate=unknown

Does this issue reproduce with the latest release?

Yes

[pamubay]

.Param is Page method, make sure you pass the Page as context when using resources.ExecuteAsTemplate.

Works, . is Page.

{{ $tmpl := `x {{ .Param "foo" }} y` | resources.FromString "foo.tmpl" }}
{{ $exe := $tmpl | resources.ExecuteAsTemplate "foo.html" . }}
{{ $exe.RelPermalink }}

---

Error, passing (dict) as context.

{{ $tmpl := `x {{ .Param "foo" }} y` | resources.FromString "foo.tmpl" }}
{{ $exe := $tmpl | resources.ExecuteAsTemplate "foo.html" (dict) }}
{{ $exe.RelPermalink }}

Error:

Error: Error building site: EXECUTE-AS-TEMPLATE: failed to transform "foo.tmpl" (/): template: foo.tmpl:1:5: executing "foo.tmpl" at <.Param>: Param is not a method but has arguments

[willfaught]

Thanks, but I still don't understand the message. What sort of Foo.Bar is not a method but has arguments?

[bep]

The error comes from here:

https://github.com/golang/go/blob/master/src/text/template/exec.go#L669

I agree that it would be useful to have the receiver type (a map of some sort) in the error message, but I'm afraid you need to convince the Go people to get that fix.

[willfaught]

To summarize, the issue is that the template context is a map without a matching key? Do I have that right? So any time a map doesn't have a key, text/template produces a "[key] is not a method but has arguments" error?

[stefanv]

This is also an issue that arose for us with the latest Hugo release (0.111.3 works, 0.112.1 doesn't). I'm not sure the context above is applicable to our case. I have:

    {{ $meta_fields := (slice "author" "discussion" "history") }}
    {{- range $attr := $meta_fields -}}
      {{ $val := $.Params.Get $attr }}```
...

The error is:

<$.Params.Get>: Get is not a method but has arguments

But, it looks like we always provide an argument to Get?

[bep]

But, it looks like we always provide an argument to Get?

I haven't looked closely, but I suspect you have become a victim of my "API spring cleaning" project. A lot of work was put into getting some control over "what is the public API" of Hugo. I don't remember why that particular method was removed, but I don't see why you cannot just do:

 {{ $val := index $.Params $attr }}

which is a construct that works for all maps.

[stefanv]

Thanks! That should be easy to fix then. Since the removed "method" names are known, perhaps it would be useful to add error messages to catch common mistakes like this.

[SudoCerb]

Just got back into Hugo as I have new things to add to my website - but I'm running into this error, followed the suggestions above but to no avail.

I last built my site using v0.109:

hugo v0.109.0-47b12b83e636224e5e601813ff3e6790c191e371+extended windows/amd64 BuildDate=2022-12-23T10:38:11Z VendorInfo=gohugoio

I have just upgraded to the latest version available on chocolatey:

hugo v0.115.0-67caf50698783d3b3d78559ac81483d83e5e1a35+extended windows/amd64 BuildDate=2023-06-29T15:56:39Z VendorInfo=gohugoio

My original code:

{{- $fnStart := int (.Page.Params.Get "fnStart") -}}

I've got a multi-page site that's essentially a book, and the footnote starting numbers are defined by a page parameter (in lieu of a some smarter solution, for now).

This code produces <.Page.Params.Get>: Get is not a method but has arguments.

I have tried: {{- $fnStart := int (index $.Params "fnStart") -}} but get this error:

executing "shortcodes/footnote.html" at <index $.Params "fnStart">: error calling index: index of type []string with args [fnStart] failed: cannot index slice/array with type string

Apologies I'm a little out of my depth on this syntax and would appreciate any help I can get!

[jmooring]

@SudoCerb Change this:

{{ .Page.Params.Get "fnStart" }}

to either of these:

{{ index .Page.Params "fnStart" }}
{{ .Page.Params.fnStart }}

Although the .Get method on .Page.Params worked prior to v0.112.0, it was never documented, and has been removed from the API.

[bep]

I'm closing this, as this i'nt likely to be reverted.

[stefanv]

Any hope to update the cryptic error message? This is under the assumption that "Get" can easily be detected, but perhaps not.

[SudoCerb]

@SudoCerb Change this:

{{ .Page.Params.Get "fnStart" }}

to either of these:

{{ index .Page.Params "fnStart" }}
{{ .Page.Params.fnStart }}

Although the .Get method on .Page.Params worked prior to v0.112.0, it was never documented, and has been removed from the API.

Thanks very much! This solved that issue!

[github-actions]

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