promptStringOnce and promptBoolOnce generate null output with `chezmoi init`

[arrrgi]

What exactly are you trying to do?

In the following chezmoi.yaml.tmpl I have defined a number of empty variables, these should then be replaced by the values derived from prompts in the template when running chezmoi init or chezmoi init --data=false but the init completes without error and my .data.git variables are empty, and the .boolEnvRestricted is still false even though I provided a 'true' input:

{{/* define defaults */}}
{{- $stringName := "" }}
{{- $stringEmail := "" }}
{{- $stringGithubUser := "" }}
{{- $stringDevOpsOrg := "" }}
{{- $boolEnvRestricted := false -}}
{{- $boolEnvWsl := and (eq .chezmoi.os "linux") (.chezmoi.kernel.osrelease | lower | contains "microsoft") | not | not -}}
{{- $boolEnvContainer := or (env "REMOTE_CONTAINERS") (env "VSCODE_REMOTE_CONTAINER_SESSION") (eq .chezmoi.username "ubuntu" "vscode") | not | not -}}
{{- $boolEnvMacOS := eq .chezmoi.os "darwin" -}}
{{- $boolEnvMultipass := and (stat "/sys/class/dmi/id/product_name") (output "cat" "/sys/class/dmi/id/product_name" | regexMatch "(QEMU|VirtualBox)") | not | not -}}
{{- $boolEnvServer := eq .chezmoi.username "sysadm" -}}
{{- $secrets := dict "keys" false "api" false "storage" false -}}
{{- $data := . }}
{{- $_ := set $data "git" (default (dict) (get $data "git")) -}}
{{- $_ := set $data "flags" (default (dict) (get $data "flags")) -}}

{{/* handle conditionals */}}
{{- if stdinIsATTY -}}
{{-   writeToStdout "💡 Tip: You can re-enter prompted inputs with `chezmoi init --data=false`.\n" -}}
{{-   $stringName := promptStringOnce $data.git "name" "Provide a full name or handle for .gitconfig" -}}
{{-   $boolEnvRestricted := promptBoolOnce $data.flags "boolEnvRestricted" "Is this a work target device?" -}}
{{-   if $boolEnvRestricted -}}
{{-     $stringEmail := promptStringOnce $data.git "email" "Provide your work email address for .gitconfig" -}}
{{-     $stringDevOpsOrg := promptStringOnce $data.git "org" "Provide your work Azure Org for .gitconfig" -}}
{{-     writeToStdout "💬 Info: Setting up work target device..." -}}
{{-     if or $boolEnvWsl $boolEnvMultipass -}}
{{/*      set flag to copy only SSH & API keys */}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "keys" true -}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "api" true -}}
{{-     end -}}
{{-   else -}}
{{-     $boolEnvRestricted := false -}}
{{-     $stringEmail := promptStringOnce $data.git "email" "Provide your personal email address for .gitconfig" -}}
{{-     $stringGithubUser := promptStringOnce $data.git "username" "Provide your work Github username for .gitconfig" -}}
{{-     if $boolEnvMacOS -}}
{{-       writeToStdout "💬 Info: Setting up MacOS target device..." -}}
{{/*      set flag to copy all sensitive data */}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "keys" true -}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "api" true -}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "storage" true -}}
{{-     else if $boolEnvServer -}}
{{-       writeToStdout "💬 Info: Setting up Server target device..." -}}
{{/*      set flag to copy only API keys */}}
{{-       $_ := set $secrets "api" true -}}
{{-     end -}}
{{-   end -}}
{{- else if $boolEnvContainer -}}
{{-   writeToStdout "💬 Info: Setting up ephemeral target device..." -}}
{{/*  set flag to copy only API keys */}}
{{-   $_ := set $secrets "api" true -}}
{{- else -}}
{{-   writeToStdout "❌ Error: Unsupported dotfiles target" -}}
{{- end }}
diff:
  pager: "less -FX"
  exclude: ["externals"]
encryption: age
age:
  identity: <redacted>
  recipient: <redacted>
data:
  git:
    name: {{ $stringName | quote }}
    email: {{ $stringEmail | quote }}
    username: {{ $stringGithubUser | quote }}
    org: {{ $stringDevOpsOrg | quote }}
  secrets:
    keys: {{ $secrets.keys }}
    api: {{ $secrets.api }}
    storage: {{ $secrets.storage }}
  flags:
    boolEnvContainer: {{ $boolEnvContainer }}
    boolEnvWsl: {{ $boolEnvWsl }}
    boolEnvMultipass: {{ $boolEnvMultipass }}
    boolEnvMacOS: {{ $boolEnvMacOS }}
    boolEnvServer: {{ $boolEnvServer }}
    boolEnvRestricted: {{ $boolEnvRestricted }}

What have you tried so far?

If I set the empty variables with default values, my inputs at prompts are also ignored and the defaults are applied to the .data.git variables

Where else have you checked for solutions?

• [x] I have read chezmoi's user guide, and not found the answer.
• [x] I have searched chezmoi's reference guide, and not found the answer.
• [ ] Other, please give details.

Output of any commands you've tried with --verbose flag

$ chezmoi --verbose init --data=false

^^^no additional info sent to console, only the template prompts^^^

Output of chezmoi doctor

```console $ chezmoi doctor RESULT CHECK MESSAGE ok version v2.33.1, commit bc4478d84f59ea38084cf7e58b9226278d0e046d, built at 2023-04-07T22:36:48Z, built by goreleaser ok latest-version v2.33.1 ok os-arch darwin/arm64 ok uname Darwin elm-hwd-mni01p 22.4.0 Darwin Kernel Version 22.4.0: Mon Mar 6 21:00:41 PST 2023; root:xnu-8796.101.5~3/RELEASE_ARM64_T8103 arm64 ok go-version go1.20.3 (gc) ok executable ~/.local/bin/chezmoi ok upgrade-method replace-executable ok config-file ~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.yaml, last modified 2023-04-12T00:23:31+10:00 warning source-dir ~/.local/share/chezmoi is a git working tree (dirty) ok suspicious-entries no suspicious entries warning working-tree ~/.local/share/chezmoi is a git working tree (dirty) ok dest-dir ~ is a directory ok umask 022 ok cd-command found /bin/zsh ok cd-args /bin/zsh info diff-command not set ok edit-command found /opt/homebrew/bin/nvim ok edit-args /opt/homebrew/bin/nvim ok git-command found /opt/homebrew/bin/git, version 2.40.0 ok merge-command found /usr/bin/vimdiff ok shell-command found /bin/zsh ok shell-args /bin/zsh ok age-command found /opt/homebrew/bin/age, version 1.1.1 info gpg-command gpg not found in $PATH info pinentry-command not set ok 1password-command found /usr/local/bin/op, version 2.16.1 info bitwarden-command bw not found in $PATH info dashlane-command dcli not found in $PATH info gopass-command gopass not found in $PATH info keepassxc-command keepassxc-cli not found in $PATH info keepassxc-db not set info keeper-command keeper not found in $PATH info lastpass-command lpass not found in $PATH info pass-command pass not found in $PATH info passhole-command ph not found in $PATH info rbw-command rbw not found in $PATH info vault-command vault not found in $PATH info secret-command not set ```

Additional context

Add any other context about the problem here.

[halostatue]

$variable := value in a new scope (e.g., your if block) creates a new binding which is lost at the end of the scope. Use $variable = value to reassign the value of the variable.

[arrrgi]

Thanks @halostatue , will give that a try now and report back

[arrrgi]

Looks good to me now, but not being overtly familiar with Go template/Sprig I wasn't able to easily spot this. Is there a good reference to the scoping consideration you mentioned @halostatue ??

Closed as resolved now.

[halostatue]

Yes, in the Go text/template documentation. I know this from what programming in Go that I’ve done. I suspect that chezmoi could probably use a gentle introduction to Go templates in its documentation, as the Go documentation is fairly opaque, and even I have to refer to it periodically.

Maybe we could consider something similar to Hugo’s introduction to templating, as the basics largely overlap. This might be more of a chezmoi v3 thing since there is a desire to eliminate Sprig, so having one place to refer to chezmoi functions would be more sensible.

[twpayne]

There is already https://chezmoi.io/user-guide/templating/. Improvements welcome.

[arrrgi]

Maybe we could consider something similar to Hugo’s introduction to templating, as the basics largely overlap. This might be more of a chezmoi v3 thing since there is a desire to eliminate Sprig, so having one place to refer to chezmoi functions would be more sensible.

Well that was a huge lightbulb moment for me, thanks for linking that as it makes much more sense now (sorry @twpayne !)

[halostatue]

There is already https://chezmoi.io/user-guide/templating/. Improvements welcome.

When I have time, I may lift some stuff from Hugo’s documentation that’s not in the Chezmoi guide (what’s there is good, but doesn’t cover some of the basics like the Hugo one does).