deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness · error · Error

invalid prompt variable name "${name}" (must match ${String(

Error message

invalid prompt variable name "${name}" (must match ${String(VARIABLE_NAME)})

What it means

Error "invalid prompt variable name "${name}" (must match ${String(VARIABLE_NAME)})" thrown in deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.

Source

Thrown at packages/core/system-prompt/src/index.ts:448

  tools(provider: (context: AssembleContext) => ToolProviderResult): () => void {
    return this.layers.effect(
      this.ctx,
      layer => layer.toolProviders.append(provider),
      { label: 'systemPrompt.tools()' },
    )
  }

  /**
   * Register a prompt variable in the calling context's scope. Scoped values
   * shadow globals; invalid or duplicate names throw. A provider may return
   * `undefined`, but rendering a section that references that value then fails.
   * @param name - the `[a-z][a-z0-9_]*` reference name.
   * @param provider - evaluated for each assembly.
   * @returns the exact Cordis effect disposer.
   */
  variable(name: string, provider: (context: AssembleContext) => string | undefined): () => void {
    if (!VARIABLE_NAME.test(name)) {
      throw new Error(`invalid prompt variable name "${name}" (must match ${String(VARIABLE_NAME)})`)
    }
    return this.layers.effect(
      this.ctx,
      layer => layer.variables.insert(name, provider),
      { label: 'systemPrompt.variable()' },
    )
  }

  /**
   * Assemble global and scoped providers, detach tool parameters, apply
   * canonical ordering, then run the assembly waterfall. Scoped sections and
   * variables shadow globals. The returned waterfall value is authoritative
   * except that an effective complete section is restored afterwards as the
   * sole prompt section.
   * @param context - the optional scope and plugin-defined assembly fields.
   * @returns the post-waterfall assembly with any complete prompt enforced.
   */
  // Keep configuration failures on the declared asynchronous error path.

View on GitHub (pinned to b150a551b8)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/core/system-prompt/src/index.ts:448 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness@b150a551b8 (2026-08-24). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ab87cd6a7c2f6b3b. Report an issue: GitHub.