fix(workflows): fail if/switch steps on non-list branch instead of crashing#3515
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Noor-ul-ain001 wants to merge 2 commits into
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fix(workflows): fail if/switch steps on non-list branch instead of crashing#3515Noor-ul-ain001 wants to merge 2 commits into
Noor-ul-ain001 wants to merge 2 commits into
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…ashing `IfThenStep.validate()` and `SwitchStep.validate()` already reject a non-list branch (`then`/`else`, and `case`/`default`), but the engine's `execute()` path does not auto-validate (see `WorkflowEngine.load_workflow`, whose docstring notes the definition is "not yet validated"). On an unvalidated run, the selected branch is fed straight into `next_steps`, which `_execute_steps` iterates as step mappings. A non-list branch — a single mapping or scalar authoring mistake — was iterated element-wise (a dict yields its string keys, a str its characters) and raised `AttributeError` on `.get()`, taking down the whole run; the engine invokes `step_impl.execute()` with no surrounding try/except. Guard both `execute` paths to return a FAILED StepResult naming the type error instead, mirroring the switch non-mapping `cases` and fan-out non-list `items` handling. The switch guard is factored into a shared `_non_list_branch_failure` helper covering both `case` and `default` branches. A missing `else`/`default` still defaults to an empty list (COMPLETED), unchanged; the guard fires only on an explicit non-list value. The condition/expression is still evaluated first, so its result is surfaced in the step output for downstream context. Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Pull request overview
Adds runtime validation for malformed conditional workflow branches to fail steps cleanly instead of crashing execution.
Changes:
- Guards non-list
ifbranches. - Guards non-list switch case/default branches.
- Adds malformed
then/elsetests.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/if_then/__init__.py |
Validates selected branch types during execution. |
src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/switch/__init__.py |
Validates selected case and default branch types. |
tests/test_workflows.py |
Tests malformed if-branch execution. |
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| # ``.get()``. ``validate`` already rejects a non-list branch; fail this | ||
| # step loudly on an unvalidated run instead, mirroring the switch/fan-out | ||
| # steps. A missing ``else`` defaults to ``[]`` and stays valid. | ||
| if not isinstance(branch, list): |
| ) | ||
| for case_key, case_steps in cases.items(): | ||
| if str(case_key) == str_value: | ||
| if not isinstance(case_steps, list): |
mnriem
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Jul 14, 2026
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Summary
IfThenStep.validate()andSwitchStep.validate()already reject a non-list branch (then/else, andcase/default), but the engine'sexecute()path does not auto-validate — seeWorkflowEngine.load_workflow, whose docstring notes the definition is "not yet validated". On an unvalidated run the selected branch is fed straight intonext_steps, which_execute_stepsiterates as step mappings. A non-list branch (a single mapping or scalar authoring mistake) was iterated element-wise — a dict yields its string keys, a str its characters — and raisedAttributeErroron.get(), taking down the whole run; the engine invokesstep_impl.execute()with no surrounding try/except.This guards both
executepaths to return a FAILEDStepResultnaming the type error instead, mirroring the switch non-mappingcasesguard (#3481) and the fan-out non-listitemshandling.Changes
if_then— guard boththenandelsebranches at execute time.switch— guardcaseanddefaultbranches via a shared_non_list_branch_failurehelper.else/defaultstill defaults to an empty list (COMPLETED), unchanged; the guard fires only on an explicit non-list value.Tests
Added parametrized tests for non-list
thenandelse(dict / str / int). Full workflow logic suite passes locally.Follows the same pattern as #3481 (switch non-mapping cases) and #3482 (fan-in non-list wait_for).