Firebase-tools: `firebase serve` doesn't pick up `.runtimeconfig.json`

[MLoughry]

Version info

3.17.4, 3.17.7

Platform Information

Windows 10 (10.0,6299)
NodeJS v 8.8.0

Steps to reproduce

PS E:\project\functions> firebase functions:config:get > .runtimeconfig.json
PS E:\project\functions> firebase serve --only functions

=== Serving from 'E:\project'...

i  functions: Preparing to emulate functions.
Warning: You're using Node.js v8.8.0 but Google Cloud Functions only supports v6.11.1.
!  functions: Failed to load functions source code. Ensure that you have the latest SDK by running npm i --save firebase-functions inside the functions directory.
!  functions: Error from emulator. FirebaseError: Error occurred while parsing your function triggers.

TypeError: Cannot read property 'private_key' of undefined
    at Object.<anonymous> (E:\project\functions\lib\functions\src\index.js:5:97)
    at Module._compile (module.js:612:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:623:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:531:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:494:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:486:3)
    at Module.require (module.js:556:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:11:18)
    at C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\firebase-tools\lib\triggerParser.js:18:11
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\firebase-tools\lib\triggerParser.js:38:3)

index.ts:

import * as functions from 'firebase-functions';
import * as admin from 'firebase-admin';
const cert = {
    ...functions.config().cert,
    "private_key": functions.config().cert.private_key.replace(/\\n/g, '\n'),
};

admin.initializeApp({
    ...functions.config().firebase,
    credential: admin.credential.cert(cert),
});

Expected behavior

The locally-served functions would pick up the local .runtimeconfig.json file.

Actual behavior

No local (or remote) config is picked up.

[MLoughry]

Updated the original issue to include that this doesn't work on 3.17.7, either.

PS E:\project\functions> yarn list --pattern firebase*
yarn list v1.5.1
├─ @firebase/[email protected]
├─ @firebase/[email protected]
├─ @firebase/[email protected]
├─ @firebase/[email protected]
├─ @firebase/[email protected]
├─ [email protected]
└─ [email protected]
Done in 0.27s.
PS E:\project\functions> firebase --version
3.17.7

[laurenzlong]

Can you run npm install firebase-functions@latest inside your functions folder and try again?

[MLoughry]

As listed in my comment above, my functions folder is already on [email protected], which is the latest according to https://github.com/firebase/firebase-functions/releases/tag/v0.9.1

[MLoughry]

I have a minimum repro for this issue: https://github.com/MLoughry/firebase-functions-serve-repro

Hitting the deployed function at https://us-central1-fir-tools-711-repro.cloudfunctions.net/helloWorld:

Hello, world!

Error while trying to serve locally:

=== Serving from 'E:\VSO\firebase-functions-serve-repro'...

i  functions: Preparing to emulate functions.
Warning: You're using Node.js v8.8.0 but Google Cloud Functions only supports v6.11.1.
!  functions: Failed to load functions source code. Ensure that you have the latest SDK by running npm i --save firebase-functions inside the functions directory.
!  functions: Error from emulator. FirebaseError: Error occurred while parsing your function triggers.

TypeError: Cannot read property 'message' of undefined
    at Object.<anonymous> (E:\VSO\firebase-functions-serve-repro\functions\lib\index.js:6:36)
    at Module._compile (module.js:612:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:623:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:531:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:494:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:486:3)
    at Module.require (module.js:556:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:11:18)
    at C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\firebase-tools\lib\triggerParser.js:18:11
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\firebase-tools\lib\triggerParser.js:38:3)

[laurenzlong]

@MLoughry I'm not sure how you created .runtimeconfig.json, but there's weird characters in front of it when you run cat .runtimeconfig.json: (Weird thing is that the question marks are not visible when you open it with a text editor, only when you view it within the terminal)

??{
  "cert": {
    "message": "Hello, world!"
  }
}

You test that this is an issue by launching a node repl:

// inside repl:
json = require('.runtimeconfig.json');
// get error: 
SyntaxError: /path/to/.runtimeconfig.json: Unexpected token � in JSON at position 0

Once I replaced your .runtimeconfig.json with another one that contained the same info, but without weird characters, both json = require('.runtimeconfig.json') within a Node shell worked, and firebase serve worked.

[amnrzv]

I've narrowed down the issue to Windows Powershell.

Running firebase functions:config:get > .runtimeconfig.json in powershell generates a broken json, which when parsed gives Unexpected token � in JSON at position 0.

I've managed to sort it out by running .runtimeconfig.json generation command in Windows command prompt.

Hope this helps.

[denisyilmaz]

@MLoughry Did you find a solution for your issue? getting the same error message

[laurenzlong]

@denisyilmaz You can use @amnrzv's suggestion, or just opening a text editor and manually creating a .runtimeconfig.json by typing it out may also work if you don't have too many variables. Seems like Windows adds weird characters when you simply run firebase functions:config:get > .runtimeconfig.json

[denisyilmaz]

I'm on Mac and having same issues as @MLoughry described. I tested the .runtimeconfig.json file if it contains the weird character which it doesn't.

[laurenzlong]

How did you go about testing it? And can you ensure that the file is in the functions folder? (not the project root folder)

[denisyilmaz]

hah. ok. sorry. moving .runtimeconfig.json solved the problem…

[laurenzlong]

No worries! Glad you figured it out!

[gavanitrate]

@laurenzlong PowerShell is not outputting incorrect/badly formatted JSON. Instead, by default, PowerShell redirects output as UCS-2 Little Endian encoding. i assume firebase serve expects UTF-8 encoding. there's probably not much that can be done on your end. anyhow firebase functions:config:get | ac .runtimeconfig.json outputs UTF-8 in PowerShell.

[TingAli]

I've narrowed down the issue to Windows Powershell.

Running firebase functions:config:get > .runtimeconfig.json in powershell generates a broken json, which when parsed gives Unexpected token � in JSON at position 0.

I've managed to sort it out by running .runtimeconfig.json generation command in Windows command prompt.

Hope this helps.

This solution works to this day. Cheers