Template expand issues with string() and jsonStringify()

[i-knezevic-milan]

Version

.NET SDK 6
AdaptiveCards.Templating 1.2.2

Describe the bug

1. When using literally ${string({'name': 'Sophie Owen'})} in a template as text of text block (or anywhere else) calling template.Expand does not execute this expression
2. When using ${string(myObject)} where myObject is a variable passed to Expand method, template is expanded, but the way it is expanded makes the expanded template an invalid JSON.

e.g.

{\"type\":\"TextBlock\",\"id\":\"textBlock1\",\"text\":\"{\"name\":\"Sophie Owen\"}\"}

Same errors can be seen when using jsonStringify

[dmvtech]

hi @i-knezevic-milan

This looks like a known issue with Adaptive Card templating and Adaptive Expressions (both of which use $) in which there is a type of collision.

Please see this issue for further info:
microsoft/BotFramework-Composer#8798

@boydc2014 I'm going to assign this one to you as well. Feel free to close whichever is more appropriate and leave the other for tracking the issue.

[boydc2014]

Thanks @dmvtech, i'm routing this to Monica as owner.

[johnataylor]

@dmvtech investigate further - understand if there is an appropriate escape sequence

[dmvtech]

Hi @i-knezevic-milan

Since it appears that Adaptive Card templating is not currently implemented within the SDK, you are likely going to have to handle this in a specific manner. i.e. it may have to escape characters at certain points, etc. I believe you will have to do the adaptive expressions evaluation before passing it to the adaptive card template .expand()

If you can share your json card template, that will give more for us to go on and give any suggestions, etc.

[i-knezevic-milan]

Data

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject("{'person': {'name': 'Sophie Owen'}}")

1. Hardcoded with "

Template

{
    "type":"AdaptiveCard",
    "$schema":"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
    "version":"1.4",
    "id":"adaptiveCard1",
    "title":"Server side object string",
    "body":[
        {
            "type":"TextBlock",
            "id":"textBlock1",
            "text":"${string({\"name\": \"Sophie Owen\"})}"
        }
    ]
}

Expanded template (didn't expand)

"{\"type\":\"AdaptiveCard\",\"$schema\":\"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json\",\"version\":\"1.4\",\"id\":\"adaptiveCard1\",\"title\":\"Server side object string\",\"body\":[{\"type\":\"TextBlock\",\"id\":\"textBlock1\",\"text\":\"${string({\\\"name\\\": \\\"Sophie Owen\\\"})}\"}]}"

2. Hardcoded with '

Template

{
    "type":"AdaptiveCard",
    "$schema":"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
    "version":"1.4",
    "id":"adaptiveCard1",
    "title":"Server side object string",
    "body":[
        {
            "type":"TextBlock",
            "id":"textBlock1",
            "text":"${string({'name': 'Sophie Owen'})}"
        }
    ]
}

Expanded template (didn't expand)

"{\"type\":\"AdaptiveCard\",\"$schema\":\"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json\",\"version\":\"1.4\",\"id\":\"adaptiveCard1\",\"title\":\"Server side object string\",\"body\":[{\"type\":\"TextBlock\",\"id\":\"textBlock1\",\"text\":\"${string({'name': 'Sophie Owen'})}\"}]}"

3. Referenced as object

Template

{
    "type":"AdaptiveCard",
    "$schema":"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
    "version":"1.4",
    "id":"adaptiveCard1",
    "title":"Server side object string",
    "body":[
        {
            "type":"TextBlock",
            "id":"textBlock1",
            "text":"${string(person)}"
        }
    ]
}

Expanded template

"{\"type\":\"AdaptiveCard\",\"$schema\":\"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json\",\"version\":\"1.4\",\"id\":\"adaptiveCard1\",\"title\":\"Server side object string\",\"body\":[{\"type\":\"TextBlock\",\"id\":\"textBlock1\",\"text\":\"{\"name\":\"Sophie Owen\"}\"}]}"

Notice that this time referenced object (person) was expanded, but "text":"{"name":"Sophie Owen"}" part is not a valid JSON because of quotes

[dmvtech]

Thank you @i-knezevic-milan

calling template.Expand

Can you confirm the method you're using ExpandTemplate() (there is no Expand())?

If you are intending the value of text to be an object, you do not need to have the expression ${} surrounded with double quotes ". While it is not valid json, it is valid lg. As you don't need the surrounding double quotes, you do not need to escape the double quotes inside the string prebuilt function:

# AnAdaptiveCard
- ```{
    {
        "type":"AdaptiveCard",
        "$schema":"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
        "version":"1.4",
        "id":"adaptiveCard1",
        "title":"Server side object string",
        "body":[
            {
                "type":"TextBlock",
                "id":"textBlock1",
                "text":${string({"name": "Sophie Owen"})}
            }
        ]
    }   
}```

Using the above in testing.lg, and the following in code:

_templates = Templates.ParseFile(@"C:\testing.lg");
var expandedlg = _templates.ExpandTemplate("AnAdaptiveCard");

I get the following:

{
    {
        "type":"AdaptiveCard",
        "$schema":"http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
        "version":"1.4",
        "id":"adaptiveCard1",
        "title":"Server side object string",
        "body":[
            {
                "type":"TextBlock",
                "id":"textBlock1",
                "text":{"name":"Sophie Owen"}
            }
        ]
    }
}

If that's not what you are looking for, my apologies. Please give me further info and more specific steps on what you are doing and what the output should be.

[dmvtech]

Closing due to inactivity. If you still need assistance, please comment or reopen and we can continue to work on this.