closes: #53961
related: #53961

Problem Analysis

The issue was that when editing non-string fields (like lists, booleans, etc.) through the "Extra fields" in the Connection Form (not using the JSON editor), the fields were being converted to strings instead of maintaining their original data types.

Root Cause

The problem was in the FieldSelector.tsx component. The inferType function was only using the initialParamDict (which contains schema definitions) to determine field types, but it wasn't considering the actual current values stored in paramsDict when editing existing connections.

Solution Implemented

I modified the FieldSelector component in airflow-core/src/airflow/ui/src/components/FlexibleForm/FieldSelector.tsx to:

1. Use both parameter dictionaries: The component now accesses both initialParamDict (for schema information) and paramsDict (for current values) from the useParamStore.

2. Combine schema with actual values: Created a combined parameter object that uses:

   • Schema information from initialParamDict
   • Actual current values from paramsDict

3. Preserve original data types: This ensures that when editing existing extra fields, the type inference is based on the actual stored values rather than just the schema defaults, preventing arrays, booleans, numbers, and objects from being converted to strings.

Improvement

Extra Fields JSON

{
  "string": "hello world",
  "list": [
    "p1",
    "p2",
    "p3",
    "p4"
  ],
  "bool": true,
  "num": 1234,
  "object": {
    "key": "value"
  }
}

Before	After

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