{"record":{"id":"158bd9a4192a6035","repo":"kubernetes/kops","slug":"unable-decode-the-configuration-file-s-error","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"unable decode the configuration file: %s, error: %v","messagePattern":"unable decode the configuration file: (.+?), error: (.+?)","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"cmd/kops/toolbox_template.go","lineNumber":249,"sourceCode":"\n// newTemplateContext is responsible for loading the --values and build a context for the template\nfunc newTemplateContext(files []string, values []string, stringValues []string) (map[string]interface{}, error) {\n\tcontext := make(map[string]interface{})\n\n\tfor _, x := range files {\n\t\tlist, err := expandFiles(utils.ExpandPath(x))\n\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\treturn nil, err\n\t\t}\n\t\tfor _, j := range list {\n\t\t\tcontent, err := os.ReadFile(j)\n\t\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"unable to configuration file: %s, error: %s\", j, err)\n\t\t\t}\n\n\t\t\tctx := make(map[string]interface{})\n\t\t\tif err := utils.YamlUnmarshal(content, &ctx); err != nil {\n\t\t\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"unable decode the configuration file: %s, error: %v\", j, err)\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\tcontext = mergeMaps(context, ctx)\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\n\t// User specified a value via --set\n\tfor _, value := range values {\n\t\tif err := helmstrvals.ParseInto(value, context); err != nil {\n\t\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"failed parsing --set data: %s\", err)\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\n\t// User specified a value via --set-string\n\tfor _, value := range stringValues {\n\t\tif err := helmstrvals.ParseIntoString(value, context); err != nil {\n\t\t\treturn nil, fmt.Errorf(\"failed parsing --set-string data: %s\", err)\n\t\t}\n\t}","sourceCodeStart":231,"sourceCodeEnd":267,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/kubernetes/kops/blob/4c8573c808a73d578c5eadc86d410646ea0b0d73/cmd/kops/toolbox_template.go#L231-L267","documentation":"After reading a --values file, newTemplateContext parses it with utils.YamlUnmarshal into map[string]interface{}. If the YAML is malformed or its top level is not a mapping, this error is returned wrapping the parse error.","triggerScenarios":"Running `kops toolbox template --values <file>` where the file contains invalid YAML syntax, or the document root is a list/scalar instead of a map.","commonSituations":"Bad indentation, tabs instead of spaces, duplicate keys, unquoted special characters, or a values file starting with '- ' (a list).","solutions":["Validate the YAML with `yamllint <file>` or a YAML parser and fix syntax errors.","Ensure the top-level structure is a mapping (key: value), not a list or scalar.","Replace tab characters with spaces and fix indentation."],"exampleFix":"// before (invalid)\n\tkey: value\n// after\nkey: value","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"var ctx map[string]interface{}\nif err := utils.YamlUnmarshal(mustRead(valuesPath), &ctx); err != nil { return err } // same parser kops uses","typeGuard":"func isYAMLMapping(b []byte) bool { var m map[string]interface{}; return utils.YamlUnmarshal(b, &m) == nil }","tryCatchPattern":"out, err := exec.Command(\"kops\", \"toolbox\", \"template\", \"--values\", p, ...).CombinedOutput()\nif strings.Contains(string(out), \"unable decode the configuration file\") { lint the YAML and fix syntax }","preventionTips":["Run yamllint on values files in CI","Never use tabs in YAML; use spaces","Ensure the document root is a mapping"],"tags":["cli","yaml","parsing"],"backgroundTag":"yaml-parse-error","analyzedSha":"4c8573c808a73d578c5eadc86d410646ea0b0d73","analyzedAt":"2026-09-05T04:13:19.212Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-05T04:13:19.212Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-12T07:17:12.445Z"}