@htekdev/actions-debugger 1.0.16 → 1.0.17

package/errors/known-unsolved/no-automatic-job-retry.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+id: known-unsolved-019
+title: "No built-in automatic retry for individual failed jobs — only full workflow re-run or manual step"
+category: known-unsolved
+severity: limitation
+tags:
+  - retry
+  - flaky
+  - job
+  - re-run
+  - known-limitation
+  - matrix
+patterns:
+  - regex: "retry|re-run|rerun|flaky"
+    flags: "i"
+error_messages:
+  - "There is no native retry: N option for jobs in GitHub Actions"
+root_cause: |
+  GitHub Actions provides no built-in retry: count field at the job level. When a
+  job fails due to a flaky test, a transient network error, or an intermittent
+  service dependency, the only native options are: (1) manually re-run the failed
+  job via the UI or API, (2) re-run the entire workflow, or (3) add shell-level
+  retry loops inside run steps. There is no declarative way to say "retry this job
+  up to N times automatically before marking it as failed." This is a long-standing
+  platform limitation tracked in multiple GitHub Community discussions. The
+  workflow-level timeout-minutes and job-level timeout-minutes exist, but neither
+  provides automatic retry semantics. For matrix jobs, a single flaky matrix entry
+  failing causes the whole matrix (or the workflow, with default fail-fast:true) to
+  fail with no automatic per-matrix-slot retry.
+fix: |
+  Workarounds depend on the scope of flakiness. For step-level flakiness, use a
+  shell retry loop or the nick-fields/retry third-party action. For job-level
+  flakiness in CI, consider using the GitHub REST API with a calling orchestrator
+  workflow that re-dispatches on failure. For matrix flakiness, capture failed
+  matrix entries and dispatch a targeted follow-up workflow run. Manual re-run via
+  gh run rerun --failed is the simplest workaround for human-in-the-loop flows.
+fix_code:
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Workaround — shell-level retry loop inside a run step"
+    code: |
+      steps:
+        - name: Flaky network step with retry
+          run: |
+            for i in 1 2 3; do
+              curl -sf https://api.example.com/deploy && break
+              echo "Attempt $i failed, retrying in 10s..."
+              sleep 10
+            done
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Workaround — nick-fields/retry action for step-level retry"
+    code: |
+      steps:
+        - name: Retry flaky step
+          uses: nick-fields/retry@v3
+          with:
+            timeout_minutes: 10
+            max_attempts: 3
+            command: npm test
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Workaround — re-run only failed jobs via gh CLI after workflow completes"
+    code: |
+      # In a post-pipeline script or calling workflow:
+      # gh run rerun <RUN_ID> --failed  re-runs only the jobs that failed
+      # Automate this with an on.workflow_run trigger checking conclusion == 'failure'
+      on:
+        workflow_run:
+          workflows: ["CI"]
+          types: [completed]
+
+      jobs:
+        auto-retry:
+          if: github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'failure'
+          runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+          steps:
+            - name: Re-run failed jobs once
+              env:
+                GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+              run: |
+                gh run rerun ${{ github.event.workflow_run.id }} --failed --repo ${{ github.repository }}
+prevention:
+  - "Design tests and deployment steps to be idempotent so manual re-runs are safe"
+  - "Use step-level retry wrappers (shell loops or nick-fields/retry) for known-flaky external calls"
+  - "Separate flaky integration tests into their own workflow so re-runs are scoped and cheaper"
+  - "Track flakiness metrics; persistent flakiness signals a real bug, not just a retry need"
+docs:
+  - url: "https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26186"
+    label: "GitHub Community — native job retry support request"
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/managing-workflow-runs-and-deployments/managing-workflow-runs/re-running-workflows-and-jobs"
+    label: "Re-running workflows and jobs — GitHub Actions"
+  - url: "https://github.com/nick-fields/retry"
+    label: "nick-fields/retry — step-level retry action (third-party workaround)"
+  - url: "https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_run_rerun"
+    label: "gh run rerun — GitHub CLI reference"

package/errors/silent-failures/github-env-same-step-not-available.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+id: silent-failures-024
+title: "GITHUB_ENV variable written in a step is not available within the same step"
+category: silent-failures
+severity: silent-failure
+tags:
+  - GITHUB_ENV
+  - environment-variables
+  - step-ordering
+  - run
+  - same-step
+patterns:
+  - regex: "GITHUB_ENV[^\\n]*\\n[^\\n]*\\$\\{?[A-Z_][A-Z0-9_]*\\}?"
+    flags: "ms"
+  - regex: "echo\\s+[\"']?[A-Z_][A-Z0-9_]*=[^\"'\\n]+[\"']?\\s*>>\\s*\\$GITHUB_ENV"
+    flags: "i"
+error_messages:
+  - "echo MY_VAR=value >> $GITHUB_ENV"
+root_cause: |
+  Writes to $GITHUB_ENV (appending NAME=value lines to the runner's environment file)
+  take effect for all SUBSEQUENT steps in the same job, but NOT for the current
+  step's run block. The Actions runner reads the environment file once at the start
+  of each step, before the run block executes. Any $GITHUB_ENV writes made during
+  that run block are not re-read until the next step begins. Consequently, if a run
+  block writes `echo "BUILD_ID=abc" >> $GITHUB_ENV` and then immediately references
+  `$BUILD_ID` later in the same run block, the variable is empty. No error or warning
+  is emitted — the reference silently evaluates to an empty string. The identical
+  delayed-effect behavior applies to $GITHUB_PATH: path entries added in one step
+  are only visible in the PATH of subsequent steps.
+fix: |
+  Split the write and the read into separate steps. If you need the value within the
+  same shell invocation, use a native shell variable assignment (VAR=value) for
+  immediate access and still write to $GITHUB_ENV if the value is needed by later
+  steps. Do not rely on $GITHUB_ENV for intra-step communication.
+fix_code:
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Wrong — reference GITHUB_ENV variable in the same step that writes it"
+    code: |
+      steps:
+        - name: Set and use variable (BROKEN — BUILD_ID is empty)
+          run: |
+            echo "BUILD_ID=abc123" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+            echo "Build ID is: $BUILD_ID"  # Empty — GITHUB_ENV not re-read mid-step
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Correct — read the exported variable in the following step"
+    code: |
+      steps:
+        - name: Export variable
+          run: echo "BUILD_ID=abc123" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+        - name: Use exported variable
+          run: echo "Build ID is: $BUILD_ID"  # Available here — next step reads GITHUB_ENV
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Correct — use a shell variable for same-step access, also export for later steps"
+    code: |
+      steps:
+        - name: Compute and export build ID
+          run: |
+            BUILD_ID=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+            echo "BUILD_ID=${BUILD_ID}" >> $GITHUB_ENV   # Export for later steps
+            echo "Build ID is: ${BUILD_ID}"               # Shell var — available immediately
+prevention:
+  - "Never reference a variable by its GITHUB_ENV name ($VAR_NAME) in the same run block that writes it"
+  - "Use native shell variables (VAR=value; echo $VAR) for same-step access; only use GITHUB_ENV for cross-step sharing"
+  - "The same rule applies to $GITHUB_PATH — path additions take effect in the next step, not the current one"
+  - "If a step relies on a GITHUB_ENV variable set by a prior step in the same run, ensure step ordering is correct"
+docs:
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/store-information-in-variables#passing-a-value-between-steps"
+    label: "Passing values between steps using GITHUB_ENV — GitHub Actions"
+  - url: "https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26672"
+    label: "GitHub Community — GITHUB_ENV variable not available in same step it is written"
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#setting-an-environment-variable"
+    label: "Setting an environment variable via workflow commands — GitHub Actions"

package/errors/triggers/push-pull-request-duplicate-runs.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+id: triggers-017
+title: "push and pull_request events both fire for same-repo PR branches causing duplicate CI runs"
+category: triggers
+severity: warning
+tags:
+  - push
+  - pull_request
+  - duplicate-runs
+  - concurrency
+  - same-repo
+  - branch
+patterns:
+  - regex: "on:\\s*\\n\\s+(push|pull_request):"
+    flags: "ms"
+error_messages:
+  - "Duplicate workflow runs triggered for the same commit SHA"
+  - "Two simultaneous CI runs on the same branch"
+root_cause: |
+  When a developer pushes to a branch that has an open pull request within the same
+  repository (not a fork), both the push event and the pull_request event (types:
+  [synchronize]) fire independently for the same commit SHA. This creates two
+  separate workflow runs executing identical CI checks simultaneously. For fork PRs
+  only the pull_request event fires (the fork push doesn't trigger the base repo),
+  so duplication only affects same-repository branches. The redundant run wastes
+  billed minutes, creates confusing duplicate status check entries on the PR, and
+  can cause race conditions in deployment or release workflows where two runs race
+  to update the same environment.
+fix: |
+  For workflows intended purely as PR checks, use only on.pull_request and remove
+  the push trigger. If the same workflow needs to run both on PRs and on direct
+  pushes to main/trunk (post-merge), filter with branches: so they don't overlap.
+  Adding a concurrency group keyed on github.ref or github.head_ref automatically
+  cancels the slower duplicate run when both triggers must remain.
+fix_code:
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Option 1 — separate triggers so they do not overlap"
+    code: |
+      on:
+        # PR CI: only pull_request covers commits pushed to the PR branch
+        pull_request:
+          branches: [main]
+        # Post-merge CI: only the push to main after merging
+        push:
+          branches: [main]
+      # This way a push to a feature branch triggers pull_request ONLY,
+      # and a merge to main triggers push ONLY — no duplicates.
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Option 2 — concurrency group to cancel the slower duplicate"
+    code: |
+      on:
+        push:
+          branches-ignore: [main]
+        pull_request:
+          branches: [main]
+
+      concurrency:
+        group: ci-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
+        cancel-in-progress: true
+      # When both push and pull_request fire for the same branch, the second
+      # run cancels the first, leaving only one active run per branch.
+prevention:
+  - "Audit every workflow with both on.push and on.pull_request — verify the branch filters don't overlap for same-repo contributors"
+  - "For PR validation CI, prefer on.pull_request only; add a separate on.push.branches: [main] for post-merge checks"
+  - "Always add a concurrency group when both push and pull_request triggers are needed to prevent redundant runs"
+  - "Check your Actions billing dashboard for unexpectedly doubled minute usage as a signal for duplicate trigger overlap"
+docs:
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-when-your-workflow-runs/events-that-trigger-workflows#pull_request"
+    label: "pull_request event — GitHub Actions documentation"
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-when-your-workflow-runs/events-that-trigger-workflows#push"
+    label: "push event — GitHub Actions documentation"
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/control-the-concurrency-of-workflows-and-jobs"
+    label: "Controlling concurrency of workflows and jobs — GitHub Actions"
+  - url: "https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26284"
+    label: "GitHub Community — avoiding duplicate workflow runs on push and pull_request"

package/errors/triggers/workflow-dispatch-inputs-string-coercion.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+id: triggers-016
+title: "workflow_dispatch inputs are always string type regardless of declared type"
+category: triggers
+severity: silent-failure
+tags:
+  - workflow_dispatch
+  - inputs
+  - type-coercion
+  - boolean
+  - number
+  - expression
+patterns:
+  - regex: "inputs\\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\\s*==\\s*(true|false)"
+    flags: "i"
+  - regex: "inputs\\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\\s*[><!]=?\\s*[0-9]"
+    flags: "i"
+error_messages:
+  - "if: ${{ inputs.enable_debug == true }}"
+  - "if: ${{ inputs.retry_count > 3 }}"
+  - "if: ${{ inputs.deploy == false }}"
+root_cause: |
+  All workflow_dispatch input values are delivered as strings at runtime, regardless
+  of the type: boolean or type: number declaration in the workflow YAML. The type
+  declaration controls the GitHub UI widget (checkbox vs text field) but does NOT
+  change the runtime data type. Comparing inputs.my_flag == true evaluates as
+  string('true') == boolean(true) which is always false. Similarly, arithmetic
+  comparisons like inputs.count > 3 perform lexicographic string comparison, not
+  numeric comparison. This is documented in GitHub Actions docs but commonly missed
+  by developers relying on the YAML type declaration to enforce runtime types.
+  The same caveat applies to inputs passed via the GitHub REST API and GitHub CLI.
+fix: |
+  Compare boolean inputs against the string 'true' or 'false'. For numeric inputs,
+  wrap with fromJSON() before arithmetic comparison. The expression
+  inputs.enable_debug == 'true' correctly evaluates when the checkbox is checked
+  in the GitHub UI or when the value 'true' is passed via the API.
+fix_code:
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Boolean input — compare against string literal 'true'"
+    code: |
+      on:
+        workflow_dispatch:
+          inputs:
+            enable_debug:
+              type: boolean
+              description: "Enable debug mode"
+              default: false
+
+      jobs:
+        build:
+          runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+          steps:
+            - name: Debug step
+              # WRONG: inputs.enable_debug == true  (string vs boolean, always false)
+              # CORRECT: compare against string
+              if: inputs.enable_debug == 'true'
+              run: echo "Debug mode enabled"
+  - language: yaml
+    label: "Number input — use fromJSON() for numeric comparison"
+    code: |
+      on:
+        workflow_dispatch:
+          inputs:
+            retry_count:
+              type: number
+              description: "Number of retries"
+              default: 3
+
+      jobs:
+        deploy:
+          runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+          steps:
+            - name: High-retry warning
+              # WRONG: inputs.retry_count > 5  (string comparison, '6' > '5' is true but '10' > '5' is false lexicographically)
+              # CORRECT: cast to number first
+              if: fromJSON(inputs.retry_count) > 5
+              run: echo "Warning: high retry count configured"
+prevention:
+  - "Always compare workflow_dispatch boolean inputs against the string 'true' or 'false', never native boolean literals"
+  - "Use fromJSON(inputs.my_number) before any arithmetic or numeric comparison on number inputs"
+  - "Add an early diagnostic step echoing ${{ toJSON(inputs) }} to inspect actual runtime types during development"
+  - "Document in workflow comments that all workflow_dispatch inputs are strings at runtime, regardless of declared type"
+  - "When passing inputs via API or gh CLI, always pass boolean values as the strings 'true' or 'false'"
+docs:
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-when-your-workflow-runs/events-that-trigger-workflows#providing-inputs"
+    label: "workflow_dispatch inputs documentation — GitHub Actions"
+  - url: "https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/1483"
+    label: "actions/runner#1483 — Boolean workflow_dispatch inputs treated as strings"
+  - url: "https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/evaluate-expressions-in-workflows-and-actions#fromjson"
+    label: "fromJSON() expression function — GitHub Actions"

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@htekdev/actions-debugger",
-  "version": "1.0.16",
+  "version": "1.0.17",
   "description": "65+ real GitHub Actions errors, queryable by agents. MCP server + Copilot skills + error database.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",