# GitHub Action

## Guide

You can use `yq` in your GitHub action, for instance:

```yaml
  - uses: actions/checkout@v2
  - name: Get SDK Version from config
    id: lookupSdkVersion
    uses: mikefarah/yq@master
    with:
      cmd: yq '.renutil.version' 'config.yml'
  - name: Restore Cache
    id: restore-cache
    uses: actions/cache@v2
    with:
      path: ../renpy
      key:  ${{ runner.os }}-sdk-${{ steps.lookupSdkVersion.outputs.result }}
      restore-keys: |
        ${{ runner.os }}-sdk
  # ... more
```

The `yq` action sets a `result` variable in its output, making it available to subsequent steps. In this case it's available as `steps.lookupSdkVersion.outputs.result`.

Details of how the GitHub action itself is configured can be found [here](https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/issues/844#issuecomment-856700574)

If you [enable step debug logging](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/managing-workflow-runs/enabling-debug-logging#enabling-step-debug-logging), you can see additional information about the exact command sent as well as the response returned within the GitHub Action logs.

Thanks @[**devorbitus**](https://github.com/devorbitus)**!**

## Environment variables with Github Actions:

GitHub Actions escape and interpolate rules can conflict with some yq syntax. Here is an example of how to quote a variable that could contain dots in a query path (more usage context: ambanum/OpenTermsArchive#899).

```yaml
  - name: Get an entry with a variable that might contain dots or spaces
    id: get_username
    uses: mikefarah/yq@master
    with:
      cmd: yq '.all.children.["${{ matrix.ip_address }}"].username' ops/inventories/production.yml
  - name: Reuse a variable obtained in another step
    run: echo ${{ steps.get_username.outputs.result }}
```

Thanks @MattiSG!

## Troubleshooting

### Write in-place file permission errors

The default user in github action dockerfiles (at the time of writing) seems to be 1001. This is what the `yq` github action is configured to run with (see the docker file [here](https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/blob/master/github-action/Dockerfile))

There's a working example defined [here](https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/blob/master/.github/workflows/test-yq.yml) and you can see the Github action [results here](https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/actions/workflows/test-yq.yml)

If you need to set the action to another user, follow the advice [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58955666/how-to-set-the-docker-user-in-github-actions).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/github-action.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.