Find why a Helm value did not change the output

The Workshop plugin used here is version 0.6.21, source revision 56e261a87dc3b060a86474bc796d379dd9bb7f3d. Use that pin in the linked setup.

Jump to the assistant task. Complete the setup below first if this is your first Guide.

Set up

You need Git, Node.js, cub, and Helm. This exercise is checked with Helm v4.1.4; record helm version --short if using another version. Install the pinned Workshop plugin as described in the Adapt setup, then return to that cub-workshop checkout root. Skip the Adapt exercise itself.

Use a new directory. If it exists, choose another trial name and use it consistently; never overwrite an earlier result.

mkdir -p values-review/chart/templates
cat > values-review/chart/Chart.yaml <<'YAML'
apiVersion: v2
name: values-review
version: 0.1.0
YAML
cat > values-review/chart/values.yaml <<'YAML'
message: hello
YAML
cat > values-review/chart/templates/config.yaml <<'YAML'
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: values-review
  namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
data:
  message: {{ .Values.message | upper | quote }}
YAML

These complete chart inputs are the source of this exercise. The template reads message and converts it to uppercase. It has no dependencies, cluster lookup or random input. Keep all three chart files with your results.

Compare the misspelled key with the baseline

Run each command separately and retain its exit code:

New to cub? Install the cub CLI first. Public catalog packages pull and render anonymously, and you sign in only once a command saves or changes ConfigHub data.

helm template review values-review/chart --namespace workshop > values-review/baseline.yaml
helm template review values-review/chart --namespace workshop --set-string mesage=reviewed > values-review/typo.yaml
cub config diff values-review/baseline.yaml values-review/typo.yaml --json --out values-review/typo-diff.json

All three should exit 0. Both renders contain one ConfigMap with data.message: HELLO. The comparison has equal: true, one unchanged object and no changes. The supplied key was mesage; this template reads message. Inspecting that source and comparing controlled renders establishes why this particular misspelling has no effect in this fixture. Helm accepting the input is not evidence that the intended field changed.

Use the correct key as a positive control

helm template review values-review/chart --namespace workshop --set-string message=reviewed > values-review/corrected.yaml
cub config diff values-review/baseline.yaml values-review/corrected.yaml --json --out values-review/corrected-diff.json

Both should exit 0. Expect exactly one changed object, ConfigMap workshop/values-review, with one replacement at /data/message from HELLO to REVIEWED. Keep the typo result alongside the corrected result.

The supplied literal reviewed does not appear unchanged in the output: the template transforms it. This is why searching for a literal cannot by itself establish whether a chart used a key. Conversely, a matching literal could have come from a different input.

Check repeatability with the same inputs:

helm template review values-review/chart --namespace workshop > values-review/baseline-repeat.yaml
cmp values-review/baseline.yaml values-review/baseline-repeat.yaml

Both should exit 0. If either fails, preserve the output and investigate; do not attribute differences to your value until other changing inputs are controlled. For a real chart, pin its archive/dependencies, values, Helm version, release name, namespace and capabilities, and account for generated credentials, timestamps and lookup-dependent output.

Ask an assistant to investigate

Prepare a fresh directory containing the three chart files above. Start Claude Code or Codex there with ordinary tool approvals:

Use the supplied chart without editing its templates or defaults. Render it
with Helm using release review and namespace workshop: once with defaults,
once with mesage=reviewed, and once with message=reviewed. Save separate YAML
outputs and compare each candidate against the baseline using cub config diff,
retaining JSON results. Report exit codes, object identity, changed fields and
hashes. Read the template to explain the misspelling and uppercase transform.
Rerender the baseline and check byte equality. Keep every input and output.
Do not deploy, contact a cluster or registry, read credentials, or generalize
this fixture result into a claim that a setting is unused in every chart.

Finish with a useful result

Your complete result is the chart, all four renders and both JSON comparisons. Source ownership stays with the chart and its values; no ConfigHub Component or Unit is created, and delivery and runtime checks are not run. The next edit is to the correct source key. For a field the real chart does not expose, inspect its source and use a maintained values/overlay strategy; the field-edit Guide shows how to preserve and review an explicit local edit.

If a render fails, stop before comparison and retain its error. If a comparison contains extra changes, keep it on review hold. A successful diff reports a comparison; it does not approve a deployment.