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Running curl command in Github-actions on windows image.

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: build dists
        run: |
          curl.exe -i --user "${{secrets.User}}:${{secrets.Password}}" -H "X-Checksum-Md5:$MD5SUM" -X PUT "${{ env.URL }}\${{ env.PATH }}\$FILE_NAME\${{ github.sha }}.zip" --upload-file $FILE_NAME.zip

I am receiving the error curl: option --upload-file: requires parameter

I am unable to find what parameter I am missing. I have checked the curl man page and scoured the internet and I have found no answer.

I have changed the formation of the curl inputs.

curl.exe -i --user "${{secrets.User}}:${{secrets.Password}}" -H "X-Checksum-Md5:$MD5SUM" --upload-file $FILE_NAME.zip "${{ env.URL }}\${{ env.PATH }}\$FILE_NAME\${{ github.sha }}.zip"

This change results in the error curl: no URL specified!

KurtYTR
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  • Use Invoke. Make the argument list a separate variable : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/invoke-command?force_isolation=true&view=powershell-7.3 – jdweng Nov 30 '22 at 17:32
  • @jdweng, use of `Invoke-Comand` is never needed for local invocation of commands, including external programs, and its use would make no difference here. – mklement0 Dec 01 '22 at 18:32

1 Answers1

0

tl;dr

PowerShell interprets $FILE_NAME.zip as trying to get the value of a property named zip of the object stored in variable $FILE_NAME.

To treat the .zip part literally, as you intend, you have the following options:

  • Use "$FILE_NAME.zip", i.e. explicitly make it an expandable (double-quoted) string

    • Inside "...", . has no special meaning, except if inside an embedded subexpression ($(...)) - see this answer for a systematic overview of the interpolation rules of expandable strings.

    • Even selective double-quoting would work - $FILE_NAME".zip" - but such compound string arguments are tricky in PowerShell, because they only work as intended if the first component is unquoted - see this answer.

  • Use $FILE_NAME`.zip, i.e. escape the . character, using `, the so-called backtick, PowerShell's escape character.

  • If appropriate, use .\$FILE_NAME.zip - starting the argument with a character other than $ in essence treats it as if it were enclosed in "...".

Therefore, using the first option (note the "$FILE_NAME.zip" at the end):

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: build dists
        run: |
          curl.exe -i --user "${{secrets.User}}:${{secrets.Password}}" -H "X-Checksum-Md5:$MD5SUM" -X PUT "${{ env.URL }}\${{ env.PATH }}\$FILE_NAME\${{ github.sha }}.zip" --upload-file "$FILE_NAME.zip"

Background information:

$FILE_NAME.zip is parsed as a property access; that is, an attempt is made to retrieve the value of a property named zip on whatever object the $FILE_NAME variable contains.

Since a string object has no .zip property, PowerShell returns $null, which, when passed as an argument to an external program such as curl, in effect passes no argument at all, which explains the errors you saw.

Note that if your argument didn't start with $FILE_NAME, it would implicitly have been treated like an expandable string; therefore, an alternative to "$FILE_NAME.zip" is to use .\$FILE_NAME.zip in this case.

The rules for how PowerShell interprets unquoted tokens as command arguments are complex - see this answer for a systematic overview.

mklement0
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