TimeSpan Parameters Cannot be Deserialized for Activities

[wsugarman]

Repro: Sandbox.Functions.Worker.zip

I created a simple orchestration and activity, which I've attached, that passes a TimeSpan parameter. The orchestration is able to deserialize the value, but the activity throws an error:

[2023-09-25T19:08:33.116Z] Function 'EchoTimeSpanAsync', Invocation id '53fbfc18-c746-4d37-9fe6-723d025830bc': An exception was thrown by the invocation.
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.117Z] Result: Function 'EchoTimeSpanAsync', Invocation id '53fbfc18-c746-4d37-9fe6-723d025830bc': An exception was thrown by the invocation.
Exception: Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.FunctionInputConverterException: Error converting 1 input parameters for Function 'EchoTimeSpanAsync': Cannot convert input parameter 'value' to type 'System.TimeSpan' from type 'System.String'. Error:System.Text.Json.JsonException: Invalid leading zero before '0'. Path: $ | LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 1.
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.118Z]  ---> System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException: Invalid leading zero before '0'. LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 1.
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.119Z]    at System.Text.Json.ThrowHelper.ThrowJsonReaderException(Utf8JsonReader& json, ExceptionResource resource, Byte nextByte, ReadOnlySpan`1 bytes)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.120Z]    at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.ConsumeZero(ReadOnlySpan`1& data, Int32& i)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.121Z]    at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.TryGetNumber(ReadOnlySpan`1 data, Int32& consumed)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.122Z]    at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.ReadFirstToken(Byte first)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.123Z]    at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.ReadSingleSegment()
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.124Z]    at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.Read()
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.125Z]    at System.Text.Json.Serialization.JsonConverter`1.ReadCore(Utf8JsonReader& reader, JsonSerializerOptions options, ReadStack& state)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.126Z]    --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.127Z]    at System.Text.Json.ThrowHelper.ReThrowWithPath(ReadStack& state, JsonReaderException ex)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.127Z] Executed 'Functions.EchoTimeSpanAsync' (Failed, Id=53fbfc18-c746-4d37-9fe6-723d025830bc, Duration=68ms)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.128Z]    at System.Text.Json.Serialization.JsonConverter`1.ReadCore(Utf8JsonReader& reader, JsonSerializerOptions options, ReadStack& state)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.130Z] System.Private.CoreLib: Exception while executing function: Functions.EchoTimeSpanAsync. System.Private.CoreLib: Result: Failure

The message makes it sound like the value was serialized as a standard string (E.g. 00:01:00) while the deserializer expects JSON (E.g. "00:01:00").

Additionally, after failing the logs report the function invocation as having succeeded, while the DTFx reports the correct status of "Failed".

[2023-09-25T19:08:33.288Z] Executing 'Functions.EchoAsync' (Reason='(null)', Id=bbf776c1-e485-4dbf-97bd-fb2ae333208a)
[2023-09-25T19:08:33.414Z] Executed 'Functions.EchoAsync' (Succeeded, Id=bbf776c1-e485-4dbf-97bd-fb2ae333208a, Duration=128ms)

This same behavior occurs in versions 1.0.0, 1.0.2, and 1.0.3 of the package Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.DurableTask.

[jviau]

I have traced the issue down to how the WebJobs extension decides to serialize data to the worker. In the case of TimeSpan and other types which serialize to a JSON value type (ie: not an object { }), there is this code which this scenario falls into.

The end result is we erroneously unwrap the JSON input and send across as a strong. For TimeSpan we end up stripping the containing quotes from it.

[jviau]

Possibly related: Azure/azure-functions-durable-extension#2504

[jviau]

Resolved by Azure/azure-functions-durable-extension#2656