Expected a mapping or list of mappings for merging, but > found scalar

James Carter_a4c32c

I really don't get why this simplistic bitbucket pipeline is throwing the yaml syntax error:

There is a YAML syntax error in your bitbucket-pipelines.yml at [line 3, column 13]. Expected a mapping or list of mappings for merging, but found scalar

 

<span>definitions:</span>
  <span>steps:</span>
    <span>-</span> <span>step:</span> <span>&prep_base_images</span>
      <span>name:</span> <span>Docker</span> <span>compose</span> <span>build</span> <span>base</span> <span>images</span>
      <span>image:</span> <span>docker:latest</span>
      <span>deployment:</span> <span>test</span>
      <span>script:</span>
        <span>-</span> <span>echo</span> <span>"hello world"</span>

<span># Actual pipelines</span>
<span># ==============================================================================</span>
<span>pipelines:</span>
  <span>branches:</span>
    <span>BLAH-137-backend-and-cicd-update:</span>
      <span>-</span> <span>step:</span>
          <span><<:</span> <span>*prep_base_images</span>
          <span>deployment:</span> <span>development</span>

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

Aron Gombas _Midori_

My first wild guess would be indentation.

Instead of:

<span>definitions:</span>
  <span>steps:</span>
    <span>-</span> <span>step:</span> <span>&prep_base_images</span>
      <span>name:</span> <span>Docker</span> <span>compose</span> <span>build</span> <span>base</span> <span>images</span>

Try:

<span>definitions:</span>
  <span>steps:</span>
    <span>-</span> <span>step:</span> <span>&prep_base_images</span>
        <span>name:</span> <span>Docker</span> <span>compose</span> <span>build</span> <span>base</span> <span>images</span>

Can you see that "name" was indented?

I am not sure if it is required or only a best practice in this file, but if it is required, then it could be the cause.