Adapting your github matrix strategy for screenplay writing

[stevenjaycohen]

I found your explanation for using a matrix on a github action to scan directories and I was trying to adapt it for this purpose:

Versioning Scripts using Fountain and GitHub

As you can see, he stops just short of your fix and suggests adding each new file manually.

I have been trying to apply your solve but I keep missing something and generating errors. I would truly appreciate your help, if you have the time.

Admittedly, this is quite a bit simpler than your issue. I just need the names of the files ending in .fountain, strip the .fountain from the name, put the names into the matrix, then adapt the run line so ${{ matrix }}.fountain and ${{ matrix }}.pdf point to the right things.

[dblock]

Happy to help. Show me what you have tried and how it's (not) working?

[stevenjaycohen]

The "errors" were not really that helpful (see below) It just refused to run.

So, I'm starting over below...

The Original Code (no changes)

name: fountain_to_pdf

 on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
   workflow_dispatch:

 jobs:
   convert_files:
     name: Convert Fountain to PDF
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: write
     steps:
       # Check out your repository
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
          
       # Install 'afterwriting
       - name: Install 'afterwriting
         run: npm install afterwriting -g

       # Invoke 'afterwriting to export script.fountain to script.pdf
       - name: Generate PDF
         run: afterwriting --source script.fountain --pdf pdf/script.pdf --overwrite --config config.json

       # Commits changes
       - uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v4

My Try (based upon what I didn't quite understand)

Note: My attempts to leverage your code are preceded by #COMMENTS

name: fountain_to_pdf

 on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
   workflow_dispatch:

 jobs:

#I NEED THIS NEW JOB HERE?
   find_files:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    outputs:
      matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
    steps:

#SHOULD THIS REMAIN CHECKOUT@V2 OR SHOULD IT BE @V3 LIKE THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT?
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - id: set-matrix

#I NEED TO LS THE BASE DIRECTORY FOR .FOUNTAIN FILES
#I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MODIFY THE JQ COMMAND
#IDEALLY I NEED THE FILE NAMES WITHOUT THE .FOUNTAIN EXTENSION 
        run: echo "::set-output name=matrix::$(ls *.fountain | jq -R -s -c 'split("\n")[:-1]')"

   convert_files:

#IS THIS WHERE THE NEEDS ITEM GOES?
needs: find_files

     name: Convert Fountain to PDF
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest

#DO I NEED STRATEGY?
strategy:

#HAVE I MODIFIED THE MATRIX PROPERLY?
    matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.find_files.outputs.matrix) }}

     permissions:
       contents: write
     steps:
       # Check out your repository
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
          
       # Install 'afterwriting
       - name: Install 'afterwriting
         run: npm install afterwriting -g

       # Invoke 'afterwriting to export script.fountain to script.pdf
       - name: Generate PDF

#SINCE I DON'T NEED THE MANIFEST CODE, IS THIS CORRECT?
#DOES CALLING THE MATRIX TWICE LIKE THIS GET THE SAME VALUE (which i need) OR SEQUENTIAL VALUES?
         run: afterwriting --source ${{ matrix }}.fountain --pdf pdf/${{ matrix }}.pdf --overwrite --config config.json

       # Commits changes
       - uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v4

Thank you for taking the time to look this over. I really appreciate it.

[dblock]

Do you have a repo where you're trying this? There should be a detailed log with your job linked under those ....

I would start adding the new parts one by one before trying to whole thing. For example, just leave find_files in there and see if you can get that one to work?

[stevenjaycohen]

I almost have it! I'm just not sure how to strip the filetype .fountain from the matrix field (see below). Any ideas??

Also, you may want to update your checkout@v2 to @V3. When I was going through my errors, that resolved a warning that originated in the code that I copied from your project.

[dblock]

Hard to tell, you'll have to show your GHA source.

[dblock]

Also, you may want to update your checkout@v2 to @V3.

Appreciate a PR if you know where this is.

[stevenjaycohen]

So, I am running into an odd thing that is likely out of scope here. But, to let you know, it appears that even if I git pull/push/etc to be completely up to date, the system seems to get itself into a state where it thinks that SOME of the PDFs can/cannot be updated. So, I wind up with random failures in each run.

Not a fault related to what we are doing, likely an issue in how the fountain converter works.

find_files is me figuring out how to leverage your code to generate the matrix properly thank you!!

find_files
The set-output command is deprecated and will be disabled soon. Please upgrade to using Environment Files. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2022-10-11-github-actions-deprecating-save-state-and-set-output-commands/

find_files
The following actions uses node12 which is deprecated and will be forced to run on node16: actions/checkout@v2. For more info: https://github.blog/changelog/2023-06-13-github-actions-all-actions-will-run-on-node16-instead-of-node12-by-default/

I solved the second of those alerts by changing checkout@v2 to checkout@v3 without causing another issue. I did not resolve that first one.