Variables with JSON Strings Not Parsed Unless `parse_response_as_json` is Set

[vmariiechko]

Summary

I'm encountering an issue where variables defined in the YAML templates as JSON-formatted strings are not being parsed into JSON objects unless I set parse_response_as_json: true in the default_request or within the request step.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use the variable in a request that expects a JSON object:

config:
  ...
  default_request:
    product: '{{ product }}'

steps:
  - name: Test JSON Parsing in Variables
    request:
      product: '{ "id": 123 }'

2. Run the scenario:

poetry run ccheck --output-type console --filename test_scenario.yaml

Expected Behavior

The variable product should be parsed as a JSON object and sent in the request.

Actual Behavior

The variable product remains a string, not a parsed JSON object.
An error occurs when making a request to an API that sends a string in a JSON format.

Analysis

I traced the issue to the replace_str_with_json function in the codebase.
The function only attempts to parse strings into JSON if the parse_response_as_json flag is present in the dictionary.
Relevant Code Snippet:

def replace_str_with_json(d: dict) -> dict:
    """Replace all strings JSON-parsable with corresponding python object."""

    if "parse_response_as_json" in d:
        for k, v in d.items():
            if isinstance(v, str) and check_beginning_bracket(v):
                try:
                    d[k] = from_json(v)
                except ValueError:
                    pass
            elif isinstance(v, dict):
                d[k] = replace_str_with_json(v)
    return d

I understand from the unit tests that the parse_response_as_json flag is intended to control when JSON parsing occurs, preventing unintended parsing of strings. However, in the case of variables, it seems cumbersome to set parse_response_as_json: true globally or within each request step.

Question

Variable Parsing Behavior: should variables containing JSON-formatted strings be parsed into JSON objects by default, or is there a recommended way to handle this?

Possible Solutions

Option 1: Modify the replace_str_with_json to automatically attempt to parse any variable value that is a string starting with a JSON opening character ({ or [), regardless of any flags.
Option 2: Introduce a new configuration option (e.g., parse_variables_as_json) that, when set to true, instructs the framework to parse all variables starting with { or [ as JSON.

I'm seeking guidance on the best way to handle variables that need to be parsed as JSON.
If introducing a new mechanism is acceptable, I'm happy to contribute by implementing it and submitting a Pull Request.

[aish1496]

Can anyone assign me this issue

[vmariiechko]

@aish1496 thanks for volunteering to work on this issue!