Github Actions Terraform output with github-script has symbols / ascii characters

[jku-sr]

Following the example setup where the outputs of Terraform Plan is added to the Pull Request as a comment. However there's all these ? type symbols that gets added in the comments.

versions:
hashicorp/setup-terraform@v2
actions/github-script@v6

my Github Actions YML File

# Generates an execution plan for Terraform
      - name: Terraform Plan
        id: plan
        run: terraform plan -input=false
      - uses: actions/github-script@v6
        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
        env:
          PLAN: "terraform\n${{ steps.plan.outputs.stdout }}"
        with:
          script: |
            const output = `#### Terraform Plan 📖\`${{ steps.plan.outcome }}\`
        
            <details><summary>Show Plan</summary>

            \`\`\`\n
            ${process.env.PLAN}
            \`\`\`

            </details>

            *Pushed by: @${{ github.actor }}, Action: \`${{ github.event_name }}\`*`;

            github.rest.issues.createComment({
              issue_number: context.issue.number,
              owner: context.repo.owner,
              repo: context.repo.repo,
              body: output
            })`

My condensed Output:

terraform
eastus2/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/vm-1]�[0m
�[0m�[1mazurerm_virtual_machine_extension.ext[0]: Refreshing state... [id=/subscriptions/redacted/resourceGroups/rg-eastus2/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/vm-1/extensions/customscript]�[0m


�[0m�[1m�[32mNo changes.�[0m�[1m Your infrastructure matches the configuration.�[0m
�[0mTerraform has compared your real infrastructure against your configuration
and found no differences, so no changes are needed.

`

Where do these question mark symbols come from. If I set my terraform plan to -no-color it'll remove the symbols. Is there any other work around?

[rajeshkbathula]

any update, facing similar issue!

[megamorf]

That's why they tell you to run terraform with -no-color.

[david-mkl]

I used something like terraform plan -out tfplan so that I get colorized output in the logs, but then I added a second step to do terraform show -no-color tfplan. Then use the show step's stdout/stderr outputs for use in the comment.

For example

- run: terraform plan -out tfplan
  id: plan

- run: terraform show -no-color tfplan
  id: show

- uses: actions/github-script@v6
  env:
    PLAN: ${{ steps.show.outputs.stdout }} # <-- reference the "show" step
  with:
    script: |
      const output = `#### Terraform Plan 📖\`${{ steps.plan.outcome }}\`
        
      <details><summary>Show Plan</summary>

      \`\`\`\n
      ${process.env.PLAN}
      \`\`\`

      </details>

      *Pushed by: @${{ github.actor }}, Action: \`${{ github.event_name }}\`*`;

      github.rest.issues.createComment({
        issue_number: context.issue.number,
        owner: context.repo.owner,
        repo: context.repo.repo,
        body: output
      })`

[jku-sr]

I used something like terraform plan -out tfplan so that I get colorized output in the logs, but then I added a second step to do terraform show -no-color tfplan. Then use the show step's stdout/stderr outputs for use in the comment.

For example

- run: terraform plan -out tfplan
  id: plan

- run: terraform show -no-color tfplan
  id: show

- uses: actions/github-script@v6
  env:
    PLAN: ${{ steps.show.outputs.stdout }} # <-- reference the "show" step
  with:
    script: |
      const output = `#### Terraform Plan 📖\`${{ steps.plan.outcome }}\`
        
      <details><summary>Show Plan</summary>

      \`\`\`\n
      ${process.env.PLAN}
      \`\`\`

      </details>

      *Pushed by: @${{ github.actor }}, Action: \`${{ github.event_name }}\`*`;

      github.rest.issues.createComment({
        issue_number: context.issue.number,
        owner: context.repo.owner,
        repo: context.repo.repo,
        body: output
      })`

this is a great work around. I am going to do something similar. Thank You!

[Adarsh-Suvarna]

terraform plan -out tfplan

If i give terraform plan -out tfplan, it will save the Plan in the Self-Hosted runner and same Plan wont display in the Terraform Cloud/Enterprise plan logs. Is there any workaround to display the Plan outputs in the Terraform enterprise as well ?