allow yaml as argument to patch

hack/test-cmd.sh

@@ -389,6 +389,11 @@ runTests() {
   kubectl patch "${kube_flags[@]}" pod valid-pod -p='{"spec":{"containers":[{"name": "kubernetes-serve-hostname", "image": "nginx"}]}}'
   # Post-condition: valid-pod POD has image nginx
   kube::test::get_object_assert pods "{{range.items}}{{$image_field}}:{{end}}" 'nginx:'
+  # prove that yaml input works too
+  YAML_PATCH=$'spec:\n  containers:\n  - name: kubernetes-serve-hostname\n    image: changed-with-yaml\n'
+  kubectl patch "${kube_flags[@]}" pod valid-pod -p="${YAML_PATCH}"
+  # Post-condition: valid-pod POD has image nginx
+  kube::test::get_object_assert pods "{{range.items}}{{$image_field}}:{{end}}" 'changed-with-yaml:'
   ## Patch pod from JSON can change image
   # Command
   kubectl patch "${kube_flags[@]}" -f docs/admin/limitrange/valid-pod.yaml -p='{"spec":{"containers":[{"name": "kubernetes-serve-hostname", "image": "kubernetes/pause"}]}}'

pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch.go

@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/resource"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/yaml"
 )
 
 // PatchOptions is the start of the data required to perform the operation.  As new fields are added, add them here instead of
@@ -84,6 +86,10 @@ func RunPatch(f *cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []stri
 	if len(patch) == 0 {
 		return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "Must specify -p to patch")
 	}
+	patchBytes, err := yaml.ToJSON([]byte(patch))
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to parse %q: %v", patch, err)
+	}
 
 	mapper, typer := f.Object()
 	r := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, f.ClientMapperForCommand()).
@@ -114,7 +120,7 @@ func RunPatch(f *cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []stri
 	}
 
 	helper := resource.NewHelper(client, mapping)
-	_, err = helper.Patch(namespace, name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, []byte(patch))
+	_, err = helper.Patch(namespace, name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, patchBytes)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}