Can't read byte-array parameters from parameter dump file -- {byte_array}, setting it to {string_array} is not allowed [Humble]

[magladko]

Bug report

Required Info:

• Operating System:
  • Ubuntu 22.04
• Installation type:
  • binaries
• Version or commit hash:
  • Humble 16.0.8-1jammy.20240217.065743 (from apt)
• DDS implementation:
  • Fast-RTPS
• Client library (if applicable):
  • rclcpp

Steps to reproduce issue

1. Create a simple package, like:

ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_cmake --node-name my_node my_test_pkg

2. Update package.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-model href="http://download.ros.org/schema/package_format3.xsd" schematypens="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"?>
<package format="3">
  <name>my_test_pkg</name>
  <version>0.0.0</version>
  <description>TODO: Package description</description>
  <maintainer email="example@email.com">example</maintainer>
  <license>TODO: License declaration</license>

  <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>

  <depend>rclcpp</depend>

  <test_depend>ament_lint_auto</test_depend>
  <test_depend>ament_lint_common</test_depend>

  <export>
    <build_type>ament_cmake</build_type>
  </export>
</package>

3. Update CMakeLists.txt

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.8)
project(my_test_pkg)

if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
  add_compile_options(-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic)
endif()

# find dependencies
find_package(ament_cmake REQUIRED)
# uncomment the following section in order to fill in
# further dependencies manually.
find_package(rclcpp REQUIRED)

add_executable(my_node src/my_node.cpp)
target_include_directories(my_node PUBLIC
  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include>
  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include>)
target_compile_features(my_node PUBLIC c_std_99 cxx_std_17)  # Require C99 and C++17

ament_target_dependencies(my_node rclcpp)

install(TARGETS my_node
  DESTINATION lib/${PROJECT_NAME})

if(BUILD_TESTING)
  find_package(ament_lint_auto REQUIRED)
  # the following line skips the linter which checks for copyrights
  # comment the line when a copyright and license is added to all source files
  set(ament_cmake_copyright_FOUND TRUE)
  # the following line skips cpplint (only works in a git repo)
  # comment the line when this package is in a git repo and when
  # a copyright and license is added to all source files
  set(ament_cmake_cpplint_FOUND TRUE)
  ament_lint_auto_find_test_dependencies()
endif()

ament_package()

4. Update source my_node.cpp

#include <cstdio>

#include "rclcpp/rclcpp.hpp"

static constexpr const uint8_t EXAMPLE_ARR[8]{ 0x00, 0x13, 0xA2, 0x00, 0x41, 0x5C, 0x61, 0x86 };

int main(int argc, char ** argv)
{
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);

  printf("hello world my_test_pkg package\n");
  auto node = rclcpp::Node::make_shared("my_node");
  auto param_subscriber_ = std::make_shared<rclcpp::ParameterEventHandler>(node);
  auto param_desc = rcl_interfaces::msg::ParameterDescriptor{};

  param_desc.description = "XBee Due address";
  auto dueAddrParm = node->declare_parameter(
      "byte_arr_param",
      std::vector<uint8_t>(EXAMPLE_ARR,
                           EXAMPLE_ARR + sizeof(EXAMPLE_ARR) / sizeof(EXAMPLE_ARR[0])),
      param_desc);
  auto p = node->get_parameter("byte_arr_param");
  RCLCPP_INFO_STREAM(node->get_logger(), p.get_name() << ":=" << p.value_to_string() << " (initial)");

  rclcpp::spin(node);
  rclcpp::shutdown();
  return 0;
}

5. compile and source workspace then run the node.

colcon build && source install/setup.bash
ros2 run my_test_pkg my_node

6. Dump the parameters

ros2 param dump /my_node > ./params.yaml

7. Restart the node with the parameters from the dump

ros2 run my_test_pkg my_node --ros-args --params-file ./params.yaml

Expected behavior

Node spins as previously or displays different param value if changed in params.yaml before execution, e.g.:

$ ros2 run my_test_pkg my_node --ros-args --params-file ./params.yaml
hello world my_test_pkg package
[INFO] [1709321062.710818894] [my_node]: byte_arr_param:=[0, 0x13, 0xa2, 0, 0x41, 0x5c, 0x61, 0x86] (initial)

Actual behavior

An exception is thrown:

$ ros2 run my_test_pkg my_node --ros-args --params-file ./params.yaml
hello world my_test_pkg package
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'rclcpp::exceptions::InvalidParameterTypeException'
  what():  parameter 'byte_arr_param' has invalid type: Wrong parameter type, parameter {byte_arr_param} is of type {byte_array}, setting it to {string_array} is not allowed.
[ros2run]: Aborted

Additional information

[fujitatomoya]

@magladko thanks for creating issue.

this is new feature for rcl_yaml_param_parser, most of the yaml tags are not yet supported except !!str.