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fix: tolerate string-encoded skills param for LLM provider compatibility #771

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fix: tolerate string-encoded skills param for LLM provider compatibility #771

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730230e
fix: tolerate string-encoded skills param for LLM provider compatibility
jinglun010-cpu Jul 15, 2026
c1a04fe
fix: validate decoded skills shape before use
jinglun010-cpu Jul 19, 2026
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21 changes: 19 additions & 2 deletions strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -350,13 +350,13 @@ async def wait_for_message( # noqa: PLR0911
)


@function_tool(timeout=120)
@function_tool(timeout=120, strict_mode=False)
async def create_agent(
ctx: RunContextWrapper,
name: str,
task: str,
inherit_context: bool = True,
skills: list[str] | None = None,
skills: str | list[str] | None = None,
) -> str:
"""Spawn a specialist child agent to run in parallel.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -419,6 +419,23 @@ async def create_agent(
default=str,
)

# Tolerate LLM providers that pass array params as JSON-encoded strings.
# Validate decoded shape: reject anything that isn't a list of strings.
if isinstance(skills, str):
original_skills = skills
try:
decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
Comment on lines +424 to +429

@greptile-apps greptile-apps Bot Jul 15, 2026

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P1 Decoded JSON Bypasses List Shape

When a provider sends valid JSON that is not a string array, json.loads() still succeeds. A JSON string is expanded into individual characters by list(skills), an object is treated as its keys, and a mixed array can raise inside validate_requested_skills() while formatting heterogeneous values, so create_agent can misapply skills or fail instead of returning a controlled validation error.

Suggested change
if isinstance(skills, str):
try:
skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
if isinstance(skills, str):
original_skills = skills
try:
decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
else:
if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
skills = [decoded_skills]
elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
):
skills = decoded_skills
else:
skills = [original_skills]
Prompt To Fix With AI 
This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py
Line: 423-427

Comment:
**Decoded JSON Bypasses List Shape**

When a provider sends valid JSON that is not a string array, `json.loads()` still succeeds. A JSON string is expanded into individual characters by `list(skills)`, an object is treated as its keys, and a mixed array can raise inside `validate_requested_skills()` while formatting heterogeneous values, so `create_agent` can misapply skills or fail instead of returning a controlled validation error.

```suggestion
    if isinstance(skills, str):
        original_skills = skills
        try:
            decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
        except json.JSONDecodeError:
            skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
        else:
            if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
                skills = [decoded_skills]
            elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
                isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
            ):
                skills = decoded_skills
            else:
                skills = [original_skills]
```

How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

else:
if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
skills = [decoded_skills]
elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
):
skills = decoded_skills
else:
skills = [original_skills]
skill_list = list(skills or [])
skill_error = validate_requested_skills(skill_list)
if skill_error:
Expand Down
23 changes: 21 additions & 2 deletions strix/tools/load_skill/tool.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -2,13 +2,15 @@

from __future__ import annotations

import json

from agents import RunContextWrapper, function_tool

from strix.skills import load_skills, validate_requested_skills


@function_tool(timeout=10)
async def load_skill(ctx: RunContextWrapper, skills: list[str]) -> str:
@function_tool(timeout=10, strict_mode=False)
async def load_skill(ctx: RunContextWrapper, skills: str | list[str]) -> str:
"""Return the markdown body of one or more skills as reference material.

Use this when you need exact syntax / workflow / payload guidance
Expand All @@ -25,6 +27,23 @@ async def load_skill(ctx: RunContextWrapper, skills: list[str]) -> str:
``strix/skills/<category>/<name>.md``.
"""
del ctx
# Tolerate LLM providers that pass array params as JSON-encoded strings.
# Validate decoded shape: reject anything that isn't a list of strings.
if isinstance(skills, str):
original_skills = skills
try:
decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
Comment on lines +32 to +37

@greptile-apps greptile-apps Bot Jul 15, 2026

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P1 Decoded JSON Bypasses List Shape

When skills contains valid non-array JSON, decoding succeeds without enforcing the downstream list[str] contract. A JSON string is split into characters, an object silently becomes its keys, and mixed element types can make validation raise, so load_skill can load the wrong selection or terminate the tool call unexpectedly.

Suggested change
if isinstance(skills, str):
try:
skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
if isinstance(skills, str):
original_skills = skills
try:
decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
else:
if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
skills = [decoded_skills]
elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
):
skills = decoded_skills
else:
skills = [original_skills]
Prompt To Fix With AI 
This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: strix/tools/load_skill/tool.py
Line: 31-35

Comment:
**Decoded JSON Bypasses List Shape**

When `skills` contains valid non-array JSON, decoding succeeds without enforcing the downstream `list[str]` contract. A JSON string is split into characters, an object silently becomes its keys, and mixed element types can make validation raise, so `load_skill` can load the wrong selection or terminate the tool call unexpectedly.

```suggestion
    if isinstance(skills, str):
        original_skills = skills
        try:
            decoded_skills = json.loads(skills)
        except json.JSONDecodeError:
            skills = [s.strip() for s in skills.split(",") if s.strip()]
        else:
            if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
                skills = [decoded_skills]
            elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
                isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
            ):
                skills = decoded_skills
            else:
                skills = [original_skills]
```

How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

else:
if isinstance(decoded_skills, str):
skills = [decoded_skills]
elif isinstance(decoded_skills, list) and all(
isinstance(skill, str) for skill in decoded_skills
):
skills = decoded_skills
else:
skills = [original_skills]
requested = list(skills or [])
err = validate_requested_skills(requested)
if err:
Expand Down