I'm having issues with YAML skipping a job, based on a parameter value passed into the YAML

Question

In a small test program (below):

name: run SS_Simple1_Manual.py

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      param1:
        description: "First parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param2:
        description: "Second parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param3:
        description: "Third parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param4:
        description: "Fourth parameter"
        required: true
        type: string

jobs:
  main-thread:
    if: ${{inputs.param4}} == 'NOSKIP'
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - name: checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@master
      - name: setup python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
        with:
          python-version: '3.7' # install the Python version needed
      - name: install python packages
        run: |
          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
          pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: execute Python script
        run: python SS_Simple1.py "${{inputs.param1}}" "${{inputs.param2}}" "${{inputs.param3}}" "${{inputs.param4}}"

I expect to only do main-thread if the value of parameter is NOSKIP. However ... though the YAML is valid, I'm getting the Python executed.

python SS_Simple1.py "Hello" "There" "Bob" "Hope" shell: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.EXE -command ". '{0}'" env: pythonLocation: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.7.9\x64 PKG_CONFIG_PATH: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.7.9\x64/lib/pkgconfig Python_ROOT_DIR: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.7.9\x64 Python2_ROOT_DIR: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.7.9\x64 Python3_ROOT_DIR: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.7.9\x64

['SS_Simple1.py', 'Hello', 'There', 'Bob', 'Hope']

I've tried a few comparisons ... haven't got there yet. Can anyone help me out?

I've tried booleans: == and eq. I've also tried a few versions of the 'param4' appearance, all rejected by the YAML interpreter

Answer 1

After multiple tests, I got the answer. Even though the parameter variable is referred to as ${{inputs.param4}} in the Python run string, it's only inputs.param4 in the 'if' statement. Full logic below in case it helps someone else...

name: run SS_Simple1_Manual.py

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      param1:
        description: "First parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param2:
        description: "Second parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param3:
        description: "Third parameter"
        required: true
        type: string
      param4:
        description: "Fourth parameter"
        required: true
        type: string

jobs:
  NOSKIP-thread:
    if: inputs.param4 == 'NOSKIP'
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - name: checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@master
      - name: setup python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
        with:
          python-version: '3.7' # install the Python version needed
      - name: install python packages
        run: |
          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
          pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: execute Python script
        run: python SS_Simple1.py "${{inputs.param1}}" "${{inputs.param2}}" "${{inputs.param3}}" "${{inputs.param4}}"
  main-thread:
    if: inputs.param4 != 'NOSKIP'
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - name: checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@master
      - name: setup python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
        with:
          python-version: '3.7' # install the Python version needed
      - name: install python packages
        run: |
          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
          pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: execute Python script
        run: python SS_Simple1.py "${{inputs.param1}}" "${{inputs.param2}}" "${{inputs.param3}}" "${{inputs.param4}}"