fix: decode API responses before exporting + CI verbosity

Makefile

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ docker-down:
 # The default CI stays narrower via runtime guards such as requireGatewayURL,
 # requireHTTPBin, and A7_E2E_ENABLE_GATEWAY_GROUP_CRUD.
 test-e2e:
-	go run github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo -r --procs=1 --tags=e2e --timeout=45m ./test/e2e/...
+	go run github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo -r --procs=1 --tags=e2e --timeout=45m -v ./test/e2e/...
 
 test-e2e-full:
-	go run github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo -r --procs=1 --tags=e2e --timeout=45m ./test/e2e/...
+	go run github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo -r --procs=1 --tags=e2e --timeout=45m -v ./test/e2e/...

pkg/cmd/consumer/create/create.go

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package create
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if output == "" {
 			output = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(output, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(output, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.Username == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--username is required")

pkg/cmd/consumer/update/update.go

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package update
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	body := api.Consumer{

pkg/cmd/credential/create/create.go

@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	httpClient, err := opts.Client()

pkg/cmd/credential/update/update.go

@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	pl := make(map[string]interface{})

pkg/cmd/gateway-group/create/create.go

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func createRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	if opts.Name == "" {

pkg/cmd/gateway-group/update/update.go

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func updateRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	labels := map[string]string{}

pkg/cmd/global-rule/create/create.go

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.ID == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--id is required")

pkg/cmd/global-rule/update/update.go

@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	plugins := make(map[string]interface{})

pkg/cmd/plugin-metadata/create/create.go

@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.PluginName == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--plugin-name is required")
@@ -121,5 +121,5 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 	if format == "" {
 		format = "json"
 	}
-	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 }

pkg/cmd/plugin-metadata/update/update.go

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	metadata := map[string]interface{}{}
@@ -98,5 +98,5 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 	if format == "" {
 		format = "json"
 	}
-	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 }

pkg/cmd/proto/create/create.go

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	httpClient, err := opts.Client()

pkg/cmd/proto/update/update.go

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	labels := make(map[string]string)

pkg/cmd/route/create/create.go

@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.URI == "" && len(opts.Paths) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--path or --uri is required")

pkg/cmd/route/update/update.go

@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	labels := make(map[string]string)

pkg/cmd/service/create/create.go

@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.Name == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--name is required")

pkg/cmd/service/update/update.go

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 
 	labels := make(map[string]string)

pkg/cmd/ssl/create/create.go

@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 func writeSSLResponse(format string, out io.Writer, body []byte) error {
 	var item api.SSL
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &item); err != nil {
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to decode ssl response for safe export: %w", err)
 	}
 	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, out).Write(api.RedactSSL(item))
 }

pkg/cmd/ssl/update/update.go

@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 func writeSSLResponse(format string, out io.Writer, body []byte) error {
 	var item api.SSL
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &item); err != nil {
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to decode ssl response for safe export: %w", err)
 	}
 	return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, out).Write(api.RedactSSL(item))
 }

pkg/cmd/stream-route/update/update.go

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func actionRun(opts *Options) error {
 		if format == "" {
 			format = "json"
 		}
-		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).Write(json.RawMessage(body))
+		return cmdutil.NewExporter(format, opts.IO.Out).WriteAPIResponse(body)
 	}
 	if opts.ServiceID == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--service-id is required for current API7 EE")

pkg/cmdutil/exporter.go

@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ func (e *Exporter) Write(data interface{}) error {
 	}
 }
 
+// WriteAPIResponse decodes a JSON API response body and writes it via the
+// exporter. Writing a raw []byte (e.g. json.RawMessage) directly would cause
+// yaml.v3 to emit the bytes as a sequence of integers; decoding first ensures
+// both -o yaml and -o json render a proper object.
+func (e *Exporter) WriteAPIResponse(body []byte) error {
+	var decoded interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &decoded); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to decode response: %w", err)
+	}
+	return e.Write(decoded)
+}
+
 func (e *Exporter) writeJSON(data interface{}) error {
 	enc := json.NewEncoder(e.writer)
 	enc.SetIndent("", "  ")

pkg/cmdutil/exporter_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package cmdutil
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+func TestExporter_WriteAPIResponse_YAML_DecodesObject(t *testing.T) {
+	// The original bug: writing json.RawMessage([]byte) directly to the YAML
+	// encoder serialized the bytes as a list of integers instead of a map.
+	// WriteAPIResponse must decode first so YAML emits a proper object.
+	body := []byte(`{"id":"r1","name":"demo","status":1}`)
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := NewExporter("yaml", &buf).WriteAPIResponse(body); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteAPIResponse failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	out := buf.String()
+	if strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(out), "- ") {
+		t.Fatalf("yaml output looks like a byte sequence, not an object: %q", out)
+	}
+
+	var decoded map[string]interface{}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &decoded); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("yaml output is not a valid map: %v (output: %q)", err, out)
+	}
+	if decoded["id"] != "r1" || decoded["name"] != "demo" {
+		t.Fatalf("yaml output missing expected fields: got %v", decoded)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExporter_WriteAPIResponse_JSON_RoundTripsObject(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"id":"r1","name":"demo"}`)
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := NewExporter("json", &buf).WriteAPIResponse(body); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteAPIResponse failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var decoded map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &decoded); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("json output is not a valid object: %v (output: %q)", err, buf.String())
+	}
+	if decoded["id"] != "r1" || decoded["name"] != "demo" {
+		t.Fatalf("json output missing expected fields: got %v", decoded)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExporter_WriteAPIResponse_InvalidJSON_ReturnsError(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`not json`)
+	err := NewExporter("yaml", &bytes.Buffer{}).WriteAPIResponse(body)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error decoding invalid JSON")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to decode response") {
+		t.Fatalf("error did not mention decoding: %v", err)
+	}
+}

test/e2e/setup_test.go

@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Building a7 binary ...")
 	buildCmd := exec.Command("go", "build", "-o", binaryPath, "./cmd/a7")
 	buildCmd.Dir = modRoot
 	buildCmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// Wait for API7 EE Dashboard API to become healthy.
 	// Try the /api/status endpoint first, fall back to /api/gateway_groups.
 	healthURL := adminURL + "/api/gateway_groups"
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Waiting for API7 EE dashboard at "+adminURL+" ...")
 	if err := waitForHealthy(healthURL, 120*time.Second); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "API7 EE not ready: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// API7 EE uses UUID-style ids for runtime API calls. Resolve name -> id.
 	// An explicit name (incl. "default") is honored literally; only an
 	// unset/empty A7_GATEWAY_GROUP falls back to "first non-ingress group".
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Resolving gateway group ...")
 	wanted := os.Getenv("A7_GATEWAY_GROUP")
 	ggID, err := resolveGatewayGroupID(wanted)
 	if err != nil {