CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ This project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- **Variable map form now parses correctly** — `variables:` entries that use the extended `{value, description, options}` form (GitLab CI 13.7+) no longer cause `yaml: cannot unmarshal !!map into string`. Both `Pipeline.Variables` and per-job `Variables` now accept either plain strings or map-form declarations.
+- **`default.image` map form now parses correctly** — `default: image: {name: ..., pull_policy: ...}` used to cause `yaml: cannot unmarshal !!map into string`; `DefaultConfig.Image` is now typed as `any` to match `Job.Image`.
+- **`default.before_script` / `default.after_script` now accept both list and scalar forms** — previously `DefaultConfig.BeforeScript` and `DefaultConfig.AfterScript` were `[]string`, causing a parse error when the field was written as a block scalar string. They are now typed as `any` to match the corresponding `Job` fields.
+- **`rules.changes` / `rules.exists` map form now parses correctly** — extended `changes: {paths: [...], compare_to: "..."}` syntax (GitLab CI 15.3+) used to cause `yaml: cannot unmarshal !!map into []string`.
+
 ## [0.2.0] - 2026-06-11
 
 ### Added

README.md

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ A local tool to validate and lint `.gitlab-ci.yml` pipelines without needing a G
 - **CI/CD catalog components** — resolves `include: component:` references from the GitLab CI/CD Catalog; public components work without a token
 - **Deprecation warnings** — flags `only`/`except` usage in favour of `rules`
 - **Local include resolution** — `include: local:` entries are read from disk and recursively merged before linting, so multi-file pipelines are fully validated
+- **Extended variable declarations** — `variables:` entries may use the `{value, description, options}` map form (GitLab CI 13.7+); `default.image` accepts both string and map form; `rules.changes`/`rules.exists` accept both list and `{paths, compare_to}` map form
 - **Graph output** — `glint graph` prints a job tree (stages → jobs) to the terminal; `glint graph includes` emits a Mermaid include dependency diagram; `glint graph pipeline` renders a GitLab CI-style PNG/SVG
 - **Context simulation** — pass `--branch`, `--tag`, or `--source` to `glint check` or `glint graph` to see which jobs would be active, manual, or skipped for a specific pipeline event; evaluates `rules:if:` expressions and `only`/`except` filters
 

Taskfile.yml

@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ tasks:
         ignore_error: false
       - cmd: ./{{.BINARY}} check testdata/includes_component.yml
         ignore_error: false
+      - cmd: ./{{.BINARY}} check testdata/script_multiline.yml
+        ignore_error: false
       - cmd: ./{{.BINARY}} check testdata/context_rules.yml
         ignore_error: false
       - cmd: ./{{.BINARY}} check --branch main testdata/context_rules.yml

internal/model/pipeline.go

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ package model
 // Unknown top-level keys are collected into Jobs.
 type Pipeline struct {
 	Stages    []string       `yaml:"stages"`
-	Variables map[string]string `yaml:"variables"`
+	Variables map[string]any `yaml:"variables"` // string or {value,description,options} map
 	Default   *DefaultConfig `yaml:"default"`
 	Include   []any          `yaml:"include"`
 	Workflow  *Workflow      `yaml:"workflow"`
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ type Pipeline struct {
 }
 
 type DefaultConfig struct {
-	Image        string   `yaml:"image"`
-	BeforeScript []string `yaml:"before_script"`
-	AfterScript  []string `yaml:"after_script"`
+	Image        any      `yaml:"image"`        // string or {name,pull_policy,...} map
+	BeforeScript any      `yaml:"before_script"` // []string or string (block scalar)
+	AfterScript  any      `yaml:"after_script"`  // []string or string
 	Cache        any      `yaml:"cache"`
 	Artifacts    any      `yaml:"artifacts"`
 	Retry        any      `yaml:"retry"`
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ type Job struct {
 	AfterScript  any `yaml:"after_script"`  // []string or string
 	Image        any      `yaml:"image"`
 	Services     []any    `yaml:"services"`
-	Variables    map[string]string `yaml:"variables"`
+	Variables    map[string]any `yaml:"variables"` // string or {value,description,options} map
 	Rules        []Rule         `yaml:"rules"`
 	Only         any      `yaml:"only"`
 	Except       any      `yaml:"except"`
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ type Job struct {
 type Rule struct {
 	If      string `yaml:"if"`
 	When    string `yaml:"when"`
-	Changes []string `yaml:"changes"`
-	Exists  []string `yaml:"exists"`
+	Changes any    `yaml:"changes"` // []string or {paths,compare_to} map
+	Exists  any    `yaml:"exists"`  // []string or map form
 }
 
 // ReservedKeys are top-level GitLab CI keys that are NOT job definitions.

testdata/script_multiline.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+---
+# Exercises multi-line script patterns and extended variable declarations.
+# Ref: https://docs.gitlab.com/ci/yaml/script/#split-long-commands
+# Ref: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#variablesdescription
+# All patterns here must parse cleanly (exit 0).
+
+stages:
+  - build
+  - test
+  - deploy
+
+# Pipeline-level variables: plain strings and extended {value, description} map form.
+variables:
+  PLAIN_VAR: "hello"
+  DEPLOY_ENV:
+    value: "staging"
+    description: "The deployment target. Set to staging or production."
+  RETRIES:
+    value: "3"
+    description: "Number of retry attempts."
+    options:
+      - "1"
+      - "3"
+      - "5"
+
+default:
+  # image in map form (name + pull_policy)
+  image:
+    name: alpine:latest
+    pull_policy: if-not-present
+  # before_script as a block scalar (not a list)
+  before_script:
+    - apk add --no-cache curl git
+
+build-literal-block:
+  stage: build
+  # script items using literal block scalar (|)
+  script:
+    - |
+      if [[ "$DEPLOY_ENV" == "production" ]]; then
+        echo "Production build"
+      else
+        echo "Non-production build"
+      fi
+    - echo "Build step done"
+
+build-folded-block:
+  stage: build
+  # script items using folded block scalar (>)
+  script:
+    - >
+      apt-get update -qq &&
+      apt-get install -y curl wget
+    - echo "Packages installed"
+  before_script:
+    - |
+      echo "Job-level before_script"
+      echo "Using literal block scalar"
+
+test-job:
+  stage: test
+  script:
+    - echo "Running tests"
+    - |
+      set -e
+      go test ./...
+      echo "Tests passed"
+  # Job-level variable with extended form
+  variables:
+    TEST_FLAG:
+      value: "true"
+      description: "Enable verbose test output"
+  # rules.changes in map form (GitLab 15.3+)
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
+      changes:
+        paths:
+          - "**/*.go"
+        compare_to: "main"
+      when: on_success
+    - when: on_success
+
+deploy-job:
+  stage: deploy
+  script:
+    - echo "Deploying to $DEPLOY_ENV"
+  when: manual