Use env variable for submit_to_appstore option

[daniel-naegele]

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Which mobile framework are you using?

Flutter (Dart)

Steps to reproduce

We want to use env variables to determine whether to publish the app or not (different clients etc.) but use the same workflow. Currently, the publishing section looks like this:

    publishing:
      app_store_connect:
        api_key: $APP_STORE_CONNECT_PRIVATE_KEY
        key_id: $APP_STORE_CONNECT_KEY_IDENTIFIER
        issuer_id: $APP_STORE_CONNECT_ISSUER_ID
        submit_to_testflight: true
        submit_to_app_store: $APP_STORE_SUBMIT_TO_STORE

The variable APP_STORE_SUBMIT_TO_STORE is set to false

Expected results

Build should just complete like normal

Actual results

The build stops already at the yaml validation with the message:
Invalid configuration: 1 validation error for YamlConfiguration workflows -> ios-client-release -> publishing -> app_store_connect -> submit_to_app_store value could not be parsed to a boolean (type=type_error.bool)

Build id (optional)

64c13f3a5bbed199534c8ae9

[dtrdic]

Hey @daniel-naegele, could you please provide more information about your use case? When you would like to publish the app and when you would prefer not to publish it?

[daniel-naegele]

We are using the same setup as the mentioned white label codemagic.yaml sample. Sometimes we have a client, which is completely implemented, but we don't want to publish their app yet. So we would set the env variable (which for us would default to true) to false in order to prevent a accidental release in the app store.

You can already achieve the same behavior for the play store, as the publishing track can already be specified as an env variable

[dtrdic]

Hey @daniel-naegele, unfortunately, you can't use environment variables for that field. But you can create a different job inside the same workflow and have different values for the submit_to_app_store field, like this;

if you are a white-label user, just trigger the workflows you want to build through rest API

[daniel-naegele]

Yes we could just duplicate our current iOS workflow and use it instead for some clients as a workaround, but from my perspective an env variable is a way more flexible solution.
You don't have any code (workflow) duplication and could use it really easy.

Maybe this should have been a feature request, rather than a Q&A post.

[dtrdic]

I agree, using environment variables would be more flexible, but the current limitation may have been designed as a safety feature to prevent accidental releases like you also want to avoid.
But regardless, I forwarded your suggestion and will let you know if we make any changes or updates regarding this feature request

[toebgen]

Hi @dtrdic ,
I am currently running into the same issue.
In the meantime, has there been any update in this regard, by any chance?
Thanks in advance!

[wer-mathurin]

@daniel-naegele , @dtrdic

I'm not 100% sure, but I think ou can achieve this by using the inputs !

    inputs:
      publishAsDraft:
        description: Submit as draft
        type: boolean
        default: $GOOGLE_SUBMIT_DRAFT

...
...

   publishing:
      google_play:
        credentials: $GCLOUD_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_CREDENTIALS
        track: $GOOGLE_PLAY_TRACK
        submit_as_draft: ${{ inputs.publishAsDraft }}

So if you are running it in the UI, the question will be asked
According to the documentation
https://docs.codemagic.io/knowledge-codemagic/build-inputs/#starting-builds-with-inputs-automatically
If you are running it with the API the default value will be used....