fix: reject deprecated node-name frontend key

[Lidang-Jiang]

Description

Stop accepting the deprecated node-name frontend key in Node.parse() so YAML and XML launch files report it as an unexpected key/attribute, matching the existing name API.

Fixes #537

Is this user-facing behavior change?

Yes. Launch files that still use the deprecated node-name frontend key/attribute will now fail frontend parsing as an unexpected key/attribute. Users should use the existing name key/attribute instead.

Did you use Generative AI?

Yes. I used OpenAI Codex (GPT-5) to help prepare this PR, including drafting the PR description, checking the diff, and addressing reviewer feedback. The code change itself is limited to removing the deprecated node-name parsing path; the initially added regression tests were removed after review feedback.

Additional Information

Before

$ git show upstream/rolling:launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py | sed -n "300,320p"
        return normalized_params

    @classmethod
    def parse(cls, entity: Entity, parser: Parser):
        """Parse node."""
        # See parse method of `ExecuteProcess`
        _, kwargs = super().parse(entity, parser, ignore=['cmd'])
        args = entity.get_attr('args', optional=True)
        if args is not None:
            kwargs['arguments'] = super()._parse_cmdline(args, parser)
        ros_args = entity.get_attr('ros_args', optional=True)
        if ros_args is not None:
            kwargs['ros_arguments'] = super()._parse_cmdline(ros_args, parser)
        node_name = entity.get_attr('node-name', optional=True)
        if node_name is not None:
            kwargs['node_name'] = parser.parse_substitution(node_name)
        node_name = entity.get_attr('name', optional=True)
        if node_name is not None:
            kwargs['name'] = parser.parse_substitution(node_name)
        exec_name = entity.get_attr('exec_name', optional=True)
        if exec_name is not None:

$ git show upstream/rolling:test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py | rg -n "node-name|rejects_node_name" || true

After

$ git diff --stat upstream/rolling...HEAD
 launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py | 3 ---
 1 file changed, 3 deletions(-)

$ git diff upstream/rolling...HEAD -- launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py
@@ -310,9 +310,6 @@ class Node(ExecuteProcess):
         ros_args = entity.get_attr('ros_args', optional=True)
         if ros_args is not None:
             kwargs['ros_arguments'] = super()._parse_cmdline(ros_args, parser)
-        node_name = entity.get_attr('node-name', optional=True)
-        if node_name is not None:
-            kwargs['node_name'] = parser.parse_substitution(node_name)
         node_name = entity.get_attr('name', optional=True)
         if node_name is not None:
             kwargs['name'] = parser.parse_substitution(node_name)

$ git diff --check

$ python3 -m py_compile launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py
$WORKSPACE/python310_torch25_cuda/lib/python3.10/site-packages/xpytorch_import_hook.py:6: UserWarning: pkg_resources is deprecated as an API. See https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html. The pkg_resources package is slated for removal as early as 2025-11-30. Refrain from using this package or pin to Setuptools<81.
  import pkg_resources

$ ruff check launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py
All checks passed!

$ $WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/envs/launch-py310/bin/python -m pytest -q test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py::test_launch_frontend_yaml test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py::test_launch_frontend_xml
ERROR: found no collectors for $WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/repos/launch_ros/test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py::test_launch_frontend_yaml

ERROR: found no collectors for $WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/repos/launch_ros/test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py::test_launch_frontend_xml


==================================== ERRORS ====================================
_____ ERROR collecting test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py _____
ImportError while importing test module '$WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/repos/launch_ros/test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py'.
Hint: make sure your test modules/packages have valid Python names.
Traceback:
../../../python310_torch25_cuda/lib/python3.10/importlib/__init__.py:126: in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py:21: in <module>
    from launch import LaunchService
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/__init__.py:17: in <module>
    from . import actions
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/actions/__init__.py:17: in <module>
    from .declare_boolean_launch_argument import DeclareBooleanLaunchArgument
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/actions/declare_boolean_launch_argument.py:25: in <module>
    from .declare_launch_argument import DeclareLaunchArgument
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/actions/declare_launch_argument.py:28: in <module>
    from ..frontend import Entity
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/frontend/__init__.py:20: in <module>
    from .parser import InvalidFrontendLaunchFileError, Parser
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/frontend/parser.py:36: in <module>
    from .parse_substitution import parse_if_substitutions
../../worktrees/launch-968/launch/launch/frontend/parse_substitution.py:21: in <module>
    from ament_index_python.packages import get_package_share_directory
E   ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ament_index_python'
=============================== warnings summary ===============================
../../envs/launch-py310/lib/python3.10/site-packages/_pytest/config/__init__.py:1434
  $WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/envs/launch-py310/lib/python3.10/site-packages/_pytest/config/__init__.py:1434: PytestConfigWarning: Unknown config option: timeout
  
    self._warn_or_fail_if_strict(f"Unknown config option: {key}\n")

../../envs/launch-py310/lib/python3.10/site-packages/_pytest/config/__init__.py:1434
  $WORKSPACE/ros2-contrib/envs/launch-py310/lib/python3.10/site-packages/_pytest/config/__init__.py:1434: PytestConfigWarning: Unknown config option: timeout_method
  
    self._warn_or_fail_if_strict(f"Unknown config option: {key}\n")

-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html
=========================== short test summary info ============================
ERROR test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py
2 warnings, 1 error in 0.07s

Test plan

• git diff --check
• python3 -m py_compile launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py
• ruff check launch_ros/launch_ros/actions/node.py test_launch_ros/test/test_launch_ros/frontend/test_node_frontend.py
• Target frontend pytest cannot complete in this local environment because ROS Python dependency ament_index_python is not installed

[christophebedard]

As I mentioned in #537 (comment), node-name was indeed deprecated and should've been removed a long time ago. Other than removing some tests that I don't think we need, this looks good.

Please update the PR description to match the PR template and disclose any AI use.

[christophebedard]

Please update the PR description to match the PR template and disclose any AI use.

Waiting on this

[Lidang-Jiang]

Thanks for the reminder. I updated the PR description to match the ROS 2 PR template and added the Generative AI disclosure.

[christophebedard]

Looks good, thanks for the PR.

If someone was using node-name in an XML or YAML launch file, it wouldn't work, it currently wouldn't work, so this isn't a breaking change. It's more of an improved error message. Therefore, I will backport it to older distros.

[christophebedard]

Pulls: #538
Gist: https://gist.githubusercontent.com/christophebedard/6dc9cc56b12230195da983b292191354/raw/9a2fa4a3a6a33c30af8950010cdd0ca768f386e3/ros2.repos
BUILD args: --packages-above-and-dependencies launch_ros
TEST args: --packages-above launch_ros
ROS Distro: rolling
Job: ci_launcher
ci_launcher ran: https://ci.ros2.org/job/ci_launcher/19206

• Linux
• Linux-aarch64
• Linux-rhel
• Windows

[christophebedard]

@Mergifyio backport lyrical kilted jazzy humble

[mergify]

backport lyrical kilted jazzy humble

✅ Backports have been created

Details

• #545 fix: reject deprecated node-name frontend key (backport #538) has been created for branch lyrical
• #546 fix: reject deprecated node-name frontend key (backport #538) has been created for branch kilted
• #547 fix: reject deprecated node-name frontend key (backport #538) has been created for branch jazzy
• #548 fix: reject deprecated node-name frontend key (backport #538) has been created for branch humble