cannot load config from separate file #2169 s

[greendavegreen]

I just installed 1.2 and was going to try using environment variables AND moving sensitive items into a separate file that I can .gitignore.

I created a config.yml file to store the items subject to change. and then tried loading them into my serverless.yml.

contents of config.yml:

dropBucket: lobby.worky
keepBucket: keep.worky

and the opening of my serverless.yml

service: sls-python-demo

cfg: ${file(../configVars.yml)}

custom:
  dropBucet: lobby.worky
  keepBucket: keep.worky


provider:
  name: aws
  runtime: python2.7

  iamRoleStatements:
    - Effect: Allow
      Action:
        - s3:GetObject
      Resource: arn:aws:s3:::${self:cfg.dropBucket}/*
    - Effect: Allow
      Action:
        - s3:PutObject
      Resource: arn:aws:s3:::${self:custom.keepBucket}/*
    - Effect: Allow
      Action:
        - "sns:*"
      Resource: "*"

results in the error message:

  Serverless Error ---------------------------------------
 
     Trying to populate non string value into a string for
     variable ${self:cfg.dropBucket}. Please make sure the
     value of the property is a string.
 
  Get Support --------------------------------------------
     Docs:          docs.serverless.com
     Bugs:          github.com/serverless/serverless/issues
 
  Your Environment Information -----------------------------
     OS:                 darwin
     Node Version:       6.6.0
     Serverless Version: 1.2.0

If I change the troubled Resource statement to use self.custom.dropBucket instead of self.cfg.dropBucket, my deploy works fine. I would like to get the custom items out of this file and safely into separate file of info likely to change from deploy to deploy.

Similar or dependent issues:

• Referencing variables from other file does not work #2169

[pmuens]

Hmm. This should work according to https://serverless.com/framework/docs/providers/aws/guide/variables#reference-variables-in-other-files

Is your filename correct? In the description it says that the name is config.yml but in the serverless.yml it says configVars.yml.

[pmuens]

@greendavegreen any updates on this one? Have you tried the suggestion above?

We've merged some changes recently. You might also want to check against the current master branch.

[camhart]

I'm running 1.4 on a windows 10 box and I cannot get this to work either.

service: supercoolsoftware
frameworkVersion: "=1.4.0"

provider:
  name: aws
  runtime: dotnetcore1.0
  cfLogs: true
  region: us-west-2
  environment:
    exampleConfigValue: ${file(./env.yml)} #loads appropriate stage file from configs/*.json

env.yml is located in the root of the project, alongside serverless.yml. It's contents are as follows:

dev:
  message: hello there!

Edit: I've just realized mine failed because I'm trying to load something other than a string into an environment variable. Environment variables must be string values and objects are not accepted. Maybe add a warning about this to the user?

[gmadole]

@camhart I just discovered this too! Objects aren't allowed...

I'd like for when processing environment-variables, that if the property is an object to stringify it before adding it to the CF template. That way we can still add in objects (that may be dynamic in size/property names) to environment variables. Inside the app code we could handle the stringified object.

[massimocode]

We are facing the same issue. Trying to import a JSON file. Our file looks roughly like this:

functions:
  foo: ${file(functions/foo/s-function.json)}

And we get the error:

  Type Error ---------------------------------------------

     Cannot create property 'events' on string '${file(functions/foo/s-function.json)}'

     For debugging logs, run again after setting the "SLS_DEBUG=*" environment variable.

  Get Support --------------------------------------------
     Docs:          docs.serverless.com
     Bugs:          github.com/serverless/serverless/issues

     Please report this error. We think it might be a bug.

  Your Environment Information -----------------------------
     OS:                 win32
     Node Version:       6.5.0
     Serverless Version: 1.5.0

The json file is literally just {}

[hassankhan]

Have you tried this:

// functions/foo/s-function.json
{
  foo: {
    events: {}
  }
}

// serverless.yml
functions:
  foo: ${file(functions/foo/s-function.json):foo}

[jveldboom]

You have to include the colon and object reference within the file being included. For example in YAML, but the same will apply in JSON:

# serverless.yml
functions:
   testAuth: ${file(routes.yml):testAuth}
   postArticles: ${file(routes.yml):postArticles}

# routes.yml
testAuth:
   handler: routes/test.handler
postArticles:
   handler: routes/postArticles.handler

We use this all throughout the serverless.yml file - not just within functions. Really helps keep the serverless.yml file size small and manageable.

[pmuens]

This should've been fixed in the meantime.

Feel free to reopen if this is still an issue.

[filipesmedeiros]

Hi! It appears that when I try to reference a file that is higher up in the directory, it's not able to reference it. Is that intended?