CE Image, variable not parsed inside src image

Question

I tried to insert a custom field variable, Stash here, a simple custom field as a text field works fine (the value is parsed), but when I use a pair tag (as Fluid, Grid or another add-on), or a Stash variable, the value is never parsed:

{exp:ce_img:single src="{text_ee_field}"}

{exp:ce_img:pair src="{text_ee_field}"}
    <img src="{made}" />
{/exp:ce_img:pair}

give

<img src="http_lorempixel.com/400/200_400_200.jpg">
<img src="http_lorempixel.com/400/200_400_200.jpg">

Using a variable (Stash, EE, Low Var....), or a tag pair from Grid, Fluid, or other addons, doesn't work, I get blank code.

{exp:stash:set name="image"}http://lorempixel.com/400/200/{/exp:stash:set}

{exp:ce_img:single src="{exp:stash:get name="image"}"}

{exp:ce_img:pair src="{exp:stash:get name="image"}"}
    <img src="{made}" />
{/exp:ce_img:pair}

What could be the problem ?? A parse order ?? Priority ?? I tried parse="inward", priority="0". Even tried a Stash embed method with the parse="start" parameter, with no results.

Answer 1

Stash is very useful sometimes, but also is notorious for exactly this kind of obscure fail behaviour. Just look at the kind of questions asked about stash in this forum and you will see that you are not alone in encountering baffling behaviour.

There probably is a cute / concise solution to your problem: I'm not sure I have such for you, but do have two suggestions:

1. you might want to try wrapping your ce-img code within a stash parse tag - this simple coerces EE to evaluate whatever it contains multiple times, and can sometimes fix the kind of issue you are having - more here.
2. A better solution (I think at least) would be to replace stash with a layout variable - means splitting your template into (at least) two parts, but you can then access the values you save on the first template in the layout stack on subsequent templates - so just save your image definition on the first template in the sequence and recall it in your CE Image tag later on. More on layout templates and variables here.

Why are layout variables better? I think because they work, and because solutions that do not rely on an add-on are usually better than ones that do. You can't always avoid them, but in my view if you can you should!

HTH