`nf-test` does not work with strict nextflow syntax.

[imLew]

When running nf-test test with strict syntax enabled nextflow will raise an error.
For example, when running the workflow testing example in the docs:

  Error .nf-test-5d50826d06304d04dbe864c5041a7425.nf:36:11: Unexpected input: '*'
  │  36 |     trial(*input)
  ╰     |           ^

This is because of the new strict syntax in nextflow 25.04.

To Reproduce

Create trial.nf and trial.nf.test as in the docs page linked above.
Run nf-test init, turn on strict syntax, then run nf-test test trial.nf.test.

Full Error

$ export NXF_SYNTAX_PARSER=v2
$ nft test trial.nf.test

🚀 nf-test 0.9.2
https://www.nf-test.com
(c) 2021 - 2024 Lukas Forer and Sebastian Schoenherr


Test Workflow Trial

  Test [5d50826d] 'Should run without failures' FAILED (1.425s)

  Assertion failed:

  assert workflow.success
         |        |
         workflow false

  Nextflow stdout:


  Error .nf-test-5d50826d06304d04dbe864c5041a7425.nf:36:11: Unexpected input: '*'
  │  36 |     trial(*input)
  ╰     |           ^


  ERROR ~ Script compilation failed

   -- Check '/home/nikolai/scratch/nftest/.nf-test/tests/5d50826d06304d04dbe864c5041a7425/meta/nextflow.log' file for details
  Nextflow stderr:

  Nextflow 25.09.0-beta is available - Please consider updating your version to it




FAILURE: Executed 1 tests in 1.431s (1 failed)

Version Info

$ nft version

🚀 nf-test 0.9.2
https://www.nf-test.com
(c) 2021 - 2024 Lukas Forer and Sebastian Schoenherr

Nextflow Runtime:
    >
    >       N E X T F L O W
    >       version 25.04.7 build 5955

[imLew]

Strongly suspect this is an issue on my end, but will leave it open until I figure it out.
Edit: because I'm getting basically the same error when testing a process.

[imLew]

It's because I was using nextflow's new strict syntax.
Will update the issue accordingly.

[lukfor]

ahh thanks for reporting this and updating the title! I’ll look into it.

[imLew]

In case anyone else runs into this, an easy workaround is alias nf-test=NXF_SYNTAX_PARSER=v1 nf-test.

[nvnieuwk]

This might get urgent pretty soon as the new syntax will probably become default at the end of October

[lukfor]

Thanks for the info! I’ll look for an alternative. Since the new parser doesn’t allow the Groovy spread operator, I’ll see if there’s a way to pass arrays as separate arguments that’s compatible with it.

As a quick alternative, I will set NXF_SYNTAX_PARSER=v1 before running the Nextflow script.

[maxulysse]

Having this issue now on 25.10.0, with NXF_SYNTAX_PARSER=v2, but I assume that was expected

[rpetit3]

Unfortunately the NXF_SYNTAX_PARSER=v1 work around no longer works with static typing implemented. Will get something like the following:

  - cause: The class nextflow.Channel<groovy.lang.Tuple<java.util.Map, java.nio.file.Path>> (supplied with 1 type parameter) refers to the class nextflow.Channel which takes no parameters
   @ line 34, column 38.
         ch_versions = channel.empty() as Channel<Tuple<Map, Path>>

[nvnieuwk]

This definitely needs to be fixed sometimes soon :o

[lukfor]

Thanks. I see, I will investigate it over the weekend to come up with a solution asap.

[SPPearce]

Any progress on this?

[bentsherman]

I don't have much context but I suspect you can replace trial(*input) with trial(input as Object[]) in the generated Nextflow code