# Unexpected executor invocation format **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Created:** [October 8, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480 "2021-10-08T15:35:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![martinssipenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/martinssipenko/32/2895_2.png) [@martinssipenko](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/martinssipenko)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/1 "2021-10-08T15:35:05Z")
I’m trying to create an orb with a job to which an executor could be passed using parameters, but I’m getting an “Unexpected executor invocation format” error when running orb validate command. I was able to achieve what I desired in a different way by passing tag as an executor argument in workflow, however, doing so requires to also specify the executor name in the workflow which I’d like to avoid as I would like default to be used. I’ve created the following example orb that has the issue I’m facing: ```auto version: 2.1 executors: php-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> jobs: build: parameters: executor: type: executor default: php-executor tag: type: string default: latest executor: name: << parameters.executor >> tag: << parameters.tag >> steps: - checkout ``` The full error message: ```auto $ circleci orb --skip-update-check validate orb.yml Error: Error calling job: 'php-test' Unexpected executor invocation format The value of `name` must be a string Examples of correct executor invocation: executor: string-executor-name executor: {name: string-executor-name} executor: << parameters.executor-type-parameter >> ``` ---
**Author:** ![yannCI](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/yannci/32/24866_2.png) [@yannCI](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/yannCI)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/2 "2021-10-08T22:39:02Z")
👋 Hello @martinssipenko, and welcome to the CircleCI Discuss community! I believe the issue stems the use of `executor` --which is a reserved keyword-- as the parameter name. Also, as stated in the other error message, the value given to `name` must be a string. Furthermore, if you want to have the tag you specify as a job parameter passed to the `executor` parameter, and the into the reusable executor you declared, you’ll need to use [“pass-through” parameters](https://circleci.com/docs/2.0/orbs-best-practices/#consider-pass-through-parameters). I suggest the following code: ```auto version: 2.1 executors: php-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> jobs: build: parameters: my-executor: type: string default: php-executor version: type: string default: latest executor: name: <> tag: <> steps: - checkout ``` Let me know if this helps. ---
**Author:** ![martinssipenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/martinssipenko/32/2895_2.png) [@martinssipenko](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/martinssipenko)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 9:19am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/3 "2021-10-09T09:19:16Z")
Hello @yannCI , thank you for your answer. I actually have tried the option you suggested before I opened this discussion, and it did not work for me. When trying to validate the orb I’m getting the following error: ```auto circleci orb --skip-update-check validate orb.yml Error: Error calling job: 'build' Cannot find a definition for executor named TEST_STRING ``` My `orb.yaml` file contents are: ```auto version: 2.1 executors: php-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> jobs: build: parameters: my-executor: type: string default: php-executor version: type: string default: latest executor: name: <> tag: <> steps: - checkout ``` ---
**Author:** ![yannCI](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/yannci/32/24866_2.png) [@yannCI](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/yannCI)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/4 "2021-10-11T22:21:18Z")
Hi @martinssipenko, The error you’re getting: ```auto Cannot find a definition for executor named TEST_STRING ``` indicates that you’re trying to call the `build` job declared in your config as follows: ```auto workflows: my-wkfw: jobs: - build: my-executor: TEST_STRING ``` There is no executor defined with the name `TEST_STRING`, hence the error you’re getting. Here’s another example of a valid `config.yml`: ```auto version: 2.1 executors: php-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> ruby-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: ruby:<< parameters.tag >> jobs: build: parameters: my-executor: type: string default: php-executor version: type: string default: latest executor: name: <> tag: <> steps: - checkout workflows: my-wkfw: jobs: - build: name: Ruby build my-executor: ruby-executor - build: name: PHP build version: "8.0" ``` ---
**Author:** ![martinssipenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/martinssipenko/32/2895_2.png) [@martinssipenko](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/martinssipenko)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 10:16am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/5 "2021-10-13T10:16:10Z")
@yannCI I’m defining this executor in Orb where I do not have any workflows defined. ---
**Author:** ![martinssipenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/martinssipenko/32/2895_2.png) [@martinssipenko](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/martinssipenko)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 5:45am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/6 "2021-10-15T05:45:18Z")
@yannCI I believe CiecleCI CLI does a GraphQL request to API for Orb validation that returns this error. ---
**Author:** ![relaxdiego](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/relaxdiego/32/28083_2.png) [@relaxdiego](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/relaxdiego)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 6:28am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/7 "2022-02-23T06:28:45Z")
Hi, so what was the resolution to this? I’m getting the same error and there’s no “TEST-STRING” anywhere in my orb.yml file. Also, I’m getting this error when I run `circleci orb publish` and not when I’m executing any workflow. ---
**Author:** ![ranrubin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/ranrubin/32/30802_2.png) [@ranrubin](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/ranrubin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 9:29am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/8 "2022-09-06T09:29:44Z")
@martinssipenko did you manage to resolve this? I’m having the same issue ---
**Author:** ![0xabdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/0/65b543/32.png) [@0xabdi](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/0xabdi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/9 "2022-11-29T13:14:09Z")
> [@yannCI](#): > > ```auto > version: 2.1 > > executors: > php-executor: > parameters: > tag: > type: string > default: latest > docker: > - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> > > jobs: > build: > parameters: > my-executor: > type: string > default: php-executor > version: > type: string > default: latest > executor: > name: <> > tag: <> > steps: > - checkout > > ``` @martinssipenko How did you go about resolving this? I am also getting `Cannot find a definition for executor named TEST_STRING` when I try to pass executor parameters in an orb. ---
**Author:** ![EricRibeiroCCI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f475e1/32.png) [@EricRibeiroCCI](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/EricRibeiroCCI)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/10 "2022-12-21T23:06:04Z")
Hey folks 👋 If I understood correctly, you are trying to pass the executor name and the executor parameters as arguments to a job in an orb: ```auto jobs: build: ... parameters: executor: type: executor default: php-executor tag: type: string default: latest executor: name: << parameters.executor >> # ❌ not supported tag: << parameters.tag >> ``` Unfortunately, we do not support this. When it comes to executors in an orb config, there are two approaches to follow: **A) Get the executor as a parameter** ```auto jobs: build: ... parameters: executor: type: executor default: php-executor executor: << parameters.executor >> ``` **B) Hard-code the executor and get its parameters** ```auto jobs: build: ... parameters: tag: type: string default: latest executor: name: php-executor tag: << parameters.tag >> ``` **B** doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility. **A** , however, lets you receive the executor and its parameters as arguments. But as mentioned before, this occurs at the workflow level, outside the orb: ### my-orb.yml: ```auto version: 2.1 ... executors: php-executor: parameters: tag: type: string default: latest docker: - image: php:<< parameters.tag >> jobs: build: parameters: executor: type: executor default: php-executor executor: << parameters.executor >> steps: - checkout ``` Notice how there is no tag parameter in the build job, but we can still pass it as an argument to the executor in the workflow: ### .cicleci/config.yml: ```auto version: 2.1 orbs: my-orb: my-namespace/my-orb@1.0 workflows: build: jobs: - my-orb/build: executor: name: php-executor tag: 7.2 ``` Admittedly having the executor name as a parameter would make things easier, but it’s not possible at the moment. If you want to explore complex examples of the concept I shared above, I recommend looking at [this](https://github.com/game-ci/unity-orb) orb. You can find its executors [here](https://github.com/game-ci/unity-orb/tree/main/src/executors), jobs [here](https://github.com/game-ci/unity-orb/tree/main/src/jobs) and a real-world example using it [here](https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/Unity2D-Demo-Game-CI-CD/blob/main/.circleci/config.yml). I hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![surya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@surya](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/surya)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/unexpected-executor-invocation-format/41480/11 "2023-11-21T18:52:21Z")
This is gold. I easily would have wasted 2-3 days of my time trying to crack this. Can we please update this in some of the official circleci documentation? Would be very very usesful. **Ways to pass executor as parameter** Thanks a lot Eric 🙇‍♀️ You are a hero!