@Marvin in my prefect.yaml deployment template, how do i dynamically set the schedule to be active or inactive based on the output of a

build:

step?

To dynamically set the schedule to be active or inactive in your

prefect.yaml

deployment template based on the output of a

build:

step, you can leverage Prefect's ability to programmatically control deployment properties. Here’s a general approach you can consider: 1. Build Step Logic: In your

build:

step, determine the condition under which you want the schedule to be active or inactive. This could involve some logic to check certain parameters or states. 2. Modify the YAML: Use a script or a tool to modify the

prefect.yaml

file after the

build:

step based on the condition evaluated. You can toggle the

active

property of the schedule section. 3. Example YAML Schedule Section:

yaml
   schedules:
     - type: cron
       cron: "0 0 * * *"
       timezone: "America/Chicago"
       active: true  # or false based on your condition

4. Automation Script: Use a Python script or another automation tool to edit the

prefect.yaml

file. You can use libraries like PyYAML to load, modify, and save the YAML configuration. For more details on scheduling and creating schedules in YAML, refer to the Prefect documentation. If you need to script this within a Prefect flow or task, ensure you explore Prefect's API or use Python's file handling capabilities to dynamically adjust the YAML file.

@Marvin I tried to use a build step shell script like this:

- prefect.deployments.steps.run_shell_script:
    id: schedule-check
    script: "bash build/projects/scripts/branch-check-bool.sh"
    env:
      branch: "{{ branch-name.stdout }}"
    stream_output: false

and then use this variable in the deployment definition:

active: "{{ schedule-check.stdout }}"

However the template is parsing the variable as a string instead of a boolean.

The issue you're facing is due to the templating system in

prefect.yaml

treating the output of your shell script as a string. Prefect's YAML templating does not automatically convert string outputs to booleans. To handle this, you can use a small conversion step within your build process to ensure the output is interpreted correctly. Here's a potential approach: 1. Modify the Shell Script: Ensure your shell script outputs a recognizable boolean string, like "true" or "false". 2. Post-Processing in Python: After running the shell script, use a Python script or a Prefect task to interpret the string as a boolean and update the

prefect.yaml

file accordingly. 3. Example Python Script:

python
   import yaml

   # Load existing prefect.yaml
   with open('prefect.yaml', 'r') as file:
       prefect_config = yaml.safe_load(file)

   # Convert the shell script output to a boolean
   shell_output = "{{ schedule-check.stdout }}"
   is_active = shell_output.strip().lower() == 'true'

   # Update the active field in the YAML
   for deployment in prefect_config.get('deployments', []):
       deployment['active'] = is_active

   # Save the updated prefect.yaml
   with open('prefect.yaml', 'w') as file:
       yaml.safe_dump(prefect_config, file)

4. Integration: Use this script in your build pipeline after the shell script step to ensure the

active

field is correctly set. For more details on working with Prefect YAML configurations, you can refer to the Prefect documentation. This approach provides a workaround by explicitly converting the string to a boolean in a pre-deployment step.

i just merged this today! will be released soon https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/16867

awesome!!