Issue with EXIT_CODE variable not available in deferred tasks referencing another task

[NikitaCOEUR]

Description

I am trying to configure a task that is used in a defer based on the EXIT_CODE generated when a command fails in my Taskfile. However, I am encountering an issue where the EXIT_CODE variable is only available in a defer that uses a command directly, but not in a defer that references another task.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Generate the Taskfile :

# https://taskfile.dev

version: '3'

tasks:
  exit:
    cmd: echo {{.MESSAGE}}

  exit-with-exit-code:
    cmd: echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}

  exit-one:
    cmds:
      - defer:
          task: exit
          vars:
            MESSAGE:
              sh: "echo Defer to task via vars with sh {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - defer:
          task: exit
          vars:
            MESSAGE: "Defer to task via classic vars {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - defer:
          task: exit-with-exit-code
      - defer: "echo 'Defer to cmd' {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - |
        exit 1

2. Execute this command : task exit-one
3. This produces :

task: [exit-one] exit 1

task: [exit-one] echo 'Defer to cmd' Failed with 1!
Defer to cmd Failed with 1!
task: [exit-with-exit-code] echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Success!
Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Success!
task: [exit] echo Defer to task via classic vars Success!
Defer to task via classic vars Success!
task: [exit] echo Defer to task via vars with sh Success!
Defer to task via vars with sh Success!
task: [exit-with-exit-code] echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Success!
Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Success!
task: Failed to run task "exit-one": exit status 1

5. But i expected :

task: [exit-one] exit 1

task: [exit-one] echo 'Defer to cmd' Failed with 1!
Defer to cmd Failed with 1!
task: [exit-with-exit-code] echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Failed with 1!
Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Failed with 1!
task: [exit] echo Defer to task via classic vars Failed with 1!
Defer to task via classic vars Failed with 1!
task: [exit] echo Defer to task via vars with sh Failed with 1!
Defer to task via vars with sh Failed with 1!
task: [exit-with-exit-code] echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Failed with 1!
Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management Failed with 1!
task: Failed to run task "exit-one": exit status 1

Version

Task version: v3.40.1 (h1:Q/TjPh5SAI+XK2fBravDPZXNGm6mvnwrLJqCXfhZ3Wc=)

Operating system

Debian 12

Experiments Enabled

No response

Example Taskfile

# https://taskfile.dev

version: '3'

tasks:
  exit:
    cmd: echo {{.MESSAGE}}

  exit-with-exit-code:
    cmd: echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}

  exit-one:
    cmds:
      - defer:
          task: exit
          vars:
            MESSAGE:
              sh: "echo Defer to task via vars with sh {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - defer:
          task: exit
          vars:
            MESSAGE: "Defer to task via classic vars {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - defer:
          task: exit-with-exit-code
      - defer: "echo 'Defer to cmd' {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}"
      - |
        exit 1

[trulede]

You might try and add EXIT_CODE as a parameter to the task being deferred.

version: '3'

tasks:
  exit:
    vars:
      EXIT_CODE: '{{.EXIT_CODE}}'
    cmd: echo '{{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}'

  exit-one:
    cmds:
      - defer:
          task: exit
          vars:
            EXIT_CODE: {{.EXIT_CODE}}
      - |
        exit 1

[NikitaCOEUR]

Hey, thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn’t seem to work either:

$ task exit-one
task: [exit-one] exit 1

task: [exit] echo 'Success!'
Success!
task: Failed to run task "exit-one": exit status 1

[trulede]

OK, the code here is only operating on the Cmd.

task/task.go

Line 343 in c5be676

cmd.Cmd = templater.ReplaceWithExtra(cmd.Cmd, cache, extra)

I think if the EXIT_CODE was also added to the cmd.Vars at the same point; in the case when cmd.Vars is available, i.e. a Task and not a command; then probably this would work like you expect.

[NikitaCOEUR]

That makes sense ! I will test that.

[NikitaCOEUR]

This issue is still present; is there any chance this will be fixed?

[NikitaCOEUR]

This issue is partially resolved — but sufficiently — as of release 3.43.1+ notably thanks to #2173.

The only missing part is when referencing a variable generated within a task — it's not made available unless it's explicitly declared under vars at the task level :

# https://taskfile.dev

version: '3'

tasks:
  exit-with-exit-code:
    cmd: echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}

  exit-one:
    cmds:
      - defer:
          task: exit-with-exit-code
      - |
        exit 1

EXIT_CODE is not available in deferred task. but We can easily solve it with :

# https://taskfile.dev

version: '3'

tasks:
  exit-with-exit-code:
    cmd: echo Defer to task with EXIT_CODE management {{if .EXIT_CODE}}Failed with {{.EXIT_CODE}}!{{else}}Success!{{end}}

  exit-one:
    cmds:
      - defer:
          task: exit-with-exit-code
          vars:
            EXIT_CODE: "{{.EXIT_CODE}}"
      - |
        exit 1