How to reference a changes array hash from a block this is itself referenced on a CI configuration? - gitlab

Question

I'm writing a GitLab CI workflow in order to be re-used accross by project, using Docker for build and deployment.
On each project, I would like to only specify the needed changes to trigger this workflow under a merge request like so:
# .gitlab-ci.yml
include:
- { project: internal, ref: main, file: workflow.gitlab-ci.yml }
.workflow:changes:
- Dockerfile
- docker-compose.yml
- 'package*.json'
I was able to achieve it with the following:
# workflow.gitlab-ci.yml
build:
stage: build
script: docker build
rules:
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$/
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
- if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
changes: !reference [.workflow:changes]
test:
stage: test
script: docker test
rules:
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
- if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
changes: !reference [.workflow:changes]
However, I also want to store my repeated rules conditions onto configuration I can reference to them like described on the official documentation:
# workflow.gitlab-ci.yml
.rules:production:
rules:
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$/
.rules:staging:
rules:
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
.rules:review:
rules:
- if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
changes: !reference [.workflow:changes]
build:
stage: build
script: docker build
rules:
- !reference [.rules:production, rules]
- !reference [.rules:staging, rules]
- !reference [.rules:review, rules]
test:
stage: test
script: docker test
rules:
- !reference [.rules:staging, rules]
- !reference [.rules:review, rules]
The .rules:review section has the exact same configuration as when it was placed under the build and test section of the first example. However, it give me the following invalid configuration error:
Unable to create pipeline
jobs:build:rules:rule:changes should be an array or a hash
Is that a GitLab CI limitation of the !reference keyword? Is there any workaround?
Note: The other .rules:production and .rules:staging configuration block are working properly.