NoMethodError: undefined method `[]' for nil:NilClass error when trying to use custom platforms

[midasgossye]

Hi,

I tried to define an additional platform (the Arduino nano every) by putting the following configs in a .arduino-ci.yml file in the root directory of a library I want to test with CI. I used the description in this issue as a basis. You can find the github repo with all of the files I used here: github.com/Whaddadraft/VMA430_GPS_Module

packages:
  arduino:megaavr:
    url: https://downloads.arduino.cc/packages/package_index.json

platfoms:

  nano_every:
        board: arduino:megaavr:nona4809
        package: arduino:megaavr
        gcc:
          features:
          defines:
            - MILLIS_USE_TIMERB3
            - NO_EXTERNAL_I2C_PULLUP
            - AVR_NANO_4809_328MODE
          warnings:
          flags:

compile:
  # Choosing to run compilation tests on 2 different Arduino platforms
  platforms:
    - uno
    - leonardo
    - mega2560
    - cplayClassic
    - nano_every

Unfortunately, this resuls in the following errors being thrown, and I don't know how to procede now to try to fix the issue...

Beginning the next phase of testing...           Compilation of example sketches

Discovered example sketch...                              Show_time_location.ino
Wildcard architecture in library.properties, using configured platforms... 
    uno
    leonardo
    mega2560
    cplayClassic
    nano_every
...Wildcard architecture in library.properties, using configured platforms      
Board package arduino:avr has a defined URL...                                 ✓
Installing board package arduino:avr...                                        ✓
Compiling Show_time_location.ino for arduino:avr:uno...                        ✓
Compiling Show_time_location.ino for arduino:avr:leonardo...                   ✓
Compiling Show_time_location.ino for arduino:avr:mega:cpu=atmega2560...        ✓
Compiling Show_time_location.ino for arduino:avr:circuitplay32u4cat...         ✓
bundler: failed to load command: /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/bin/arduino_ci.rb (/action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/bin/arduino_ci.rb)
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]' for nil:NilClass
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:478:in `block (2 levels) in perform_example_compilation_tests'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:477:in `each'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:477:in `block in perform_example_compilation_tests'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:457:in `each'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:457:in `perform_example_compilation_tests'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/gems/arduino_ci-1.3.0/exe/arduino_ci.rb:536:in `<top (required)>'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/bin/arduino_ci.rb:23:in `load'
  /action/bundle/ruby/2.6.0/bin/arduino_ci.rb:23:in `<top (required)>'

Any clues would be greatly appreciated :)

[ianfixes]

HI @midasgossye-

The good news is that this problem will be easy to fix -- you have a typo in the .arduino-ci.yml that you posted above.

- platfoms:
+ platforms:

Don't feel too badly though, it took me a bit of digging to notice the problem too 😅 . I've opened Arduino-CI/arduino_ci#282 to focus on the way such errors are reported -- I had refactored the platform-iterating code, and in doing so I must have removed the explicit checks that platforms were defined. This is an excellent test case, thank you for contributing it!

[midasgossye]

Oh my, so sorry @ianfixes to have bothered you for such a silly mistake... 🤦
Fixed the typo and, as you predicted, it works perfectly now!
Really appreciate the fast feedback and positive comments 😃

Well, now that the nano every compilation configuration has been tested I don't know if it can be a usefull addition to the default yaml file so other people don't have to go to the trouble to also fully define the board parameters if they want to compile for it?

And if you ever need someone to noob-proof your documentation, hit me up! 😉

[ianfixes]

I would definitely take a PR against https://github.com/Arduino-CI/arduino_ci to add support for the arduino:megaavr architecture.