{"record":{"id":"07a200cc18c21cc8","repo":"getsops/sops","slug":"error-while-flattening-metadata-w","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Error while flattening metadata: %w","messagePattern":"Error while flattening metadata: %w","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"stores/metadata.go","lineNumber":281,"sourceCode":"\t\treturn tb, nil\n\t}\n\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"Internal error: unexpected metadata conversion result %T\", metadata)\n}\n\n// SerializeMetadata embeds the metadata of `data` into its tree branches.\nfunc SerializeMetadata(data sops.Tree, opts MetadataOpts) (sops.TreeBranches, error) {\n\tmd, err := metadataToTreeBranch(metadataFromInternal(data.Metadata))\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"Error while serializing metadata: %w\", err)\n\t}\n\tif opts.Flatten != MetadataFlattenNone {\n\t\tvar prefix string\n\t\tif opts.Flatten == MetadataFlattenFull {\n\t\t\tprefix = SopsPrefix\n\t\t}\n\t\tmd, err = flattenTreeBranch(md, prefix)\n\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"Error while flattening metadata: %w\", err)\n\t\t}\n\t\tif opts.EscapeNewlines {\n\t\t\tfor i, item := range md {\n\t\t\t\tif value, ok := item.Value.(string); ok {\n\t\t\t\t\tmd[i] = sops.TreeItem{\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKey:   item.Key,\n\t\t\t\t\t\tValue: strings.ReplaceAll(value, \"\\n\", \"\\\\n\"),\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\tif opts.Flatten != MetadataFlattenFull {\n\t\tmd = sops.TreeBranch{\n\t\t\tsops.TreeItem{\n\t\t\t\tKey:   SopsMetadataKey,\n\t\t\t\tValue: md,\n\t\t\t},","sourceCodeStart":263,"sourceCodeEnd":299,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/blob/13442bb98183887d7a9ac09ec8ab0564673a59d8/stores/metadata.go#L263-L299","documentation":"Wrapper emitted by SerializeMetadata when flattenTreeBranch fails to flatten the metadata tree branch into flat key=value items (used when MetadataOpts.Flatten is not MetadataFlattenNone, i.e. env/dotenv-style stores). Flattening fails when the metadata branch contains nested structures that cannot be represented as flat keys.","triggerScenarios":"Calling SerializeMetadata with Flatten set to MetadataFlattenPartial or MetadataFlattenFull while the converted metadata branch contains values (nested maps/lists) that flattenTreeBranch cannot flatten — e.g. malformed or unexpectedly deep metadata structures from a hand-built Metadata.","commonSituations":"Writing dotenv/env-format encrypted files with custom or incomplete metadata, converting between store formats (json → env) where metadata shapes differ, custom metadata fields that flattenTreeBranch rejects.","solutions":["Inspect the wrapped flatten error for the offending metadata key","Remove or normalize non-flattenable metadata fields in custom Metadata","Use MetadataFlattenNone with a store that supports nested metadata (json/yaml) instead of env formats","Let sops generate the metadata (via LoadEncryptedFile) rather than hand-building it"],"exampleFix":"// before\nout, err := stores.SerializeMetadata(tree, stores.MetadataOpts{Flatten: stores.MetadataFlattenFull})\n// after: use a format whose metadata doesn't need flattening, or keep none\nout, err := stores.SerializeMetadata(tree, stores.MetadataOpts{Flatten: stores.MetadataFlattenNone})","handlingStrategy":"try-catch","validationCode":"// only flatten for env-style stores; verify metadata is flat-friendly\nfunc canFlatten(md sops.Metadata) bool {\n\tm, _ := stores.MetadataFromInternal(md) // must convert cleanly first\n\t_ = m\n\treturn true // additionally verify no exotic custom fields\n}","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"out, err := stores.SerializeMetadata(tree, opts)\nif err != nil {\n\tif strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), \"Error while flattening metadata\") {\n\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"metadata cannot be flattened for this store; use MetadataFlattenNone with json/yaml store: %w\", err)\n\t}\n\treturn err\n}","preventionTips":["Use MetadataFlattenNone unless targeting env/dotenv stores","Let sops generate metadata itself instead of hand-building it","When converting between formats, re-encrypt through the target store rather than reusing flattened metadata"],"tags":["metadata","flattening","serialization"],"backgroundTag":"metadata-flatten-failed","analyzedSha":"13442bb98183887d7a9ac09ec8ab0564673a59d8","analyzedAt":"2026-09-01T03:53:00.447Z","contentChangedAt":null,"schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-08T10:18:20.063Z"}