Unknown variant "${variant}". Use: compiled, raw, or beforeM

Error message

Unknown variant "${variant}". Use: compiled, raw, or beforeMigration.

What it means

The `get-shader-code` CLI command accepts a `variant` argument restricted to exactly three values: "compiled" (final GLSL after processing), "raw" (unprocessed source), and "beforeMigration" (pre-WGSL-migration source). Any other string hits the switch's default branch and throws this error.

Source

Thrown at packages/dev/inspector-v2/src/services/cli/shaderCommandService.ts:71

                let vertexShader: string;
                let fragmentShader: string;

                switch (variant) {
                    case "compiled":
                        vertexShader = effect.vertexSourceCode;
                        fragmentShader = effect.fragmentSourceCode;
                        break;
                    case "raw":
                        vertexShader = effect.rawVertexSourceCode;
                        fragmentShader = effect.rawFragmentSourceCode;
                        break;
                    case "beforeMigration":
                        vertexShader = effect.vertexSourceCodeBeforeMigration;
                        fragmentShader = effect.fragmentSourceCodeBeforeMigration;
                        break;
                    default:
                        throw new Error(`Unknown variant "${variant}". Use: compiled, raw, or beforeMigration.`);
                }

                return JSON.stringify({ vertexShader, fragmentShader }, null, 2);
            },
        });

        return {
            dispose: () => {
                registration.dispose();
            },
        };
    },
};

View on GitHub (pinned to 0592b347b8)

Solutions

Pass one of the exact lowercase strings: "compiled", "raw", or "beforeMigration"
Omit the variant argument entirely to get the default "compiled" behavior
Fix casing/typos in scripts calling this command (matching is case-sensitive)
Check the command's args help (variant description) for the currently supported list

Example fix

// before
const code = await cli.run("get-shader-code", { uniqueId: "123", variant: "Compiled" });
// after
const code = await cli.run("get-shader-code", { uniqueId: "123", variant: "compiled" });

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const VALID_VARIANTS = ["compiled", "raw", "beforeMigration"] as const;
if (variant !== undefined && !VALID_VARIANTS.includes(variant)) {
    throw new Error(`variant must be one of ${VALID_VARIANTS.join(", ")}`);
}

Type guard

function isValidVariant(v: string | undefined): v is "compiled" | "raw" | "beforeMigration" {
    return v === undefined || v === "compiled" || v === "raw" || v === "beforeMigration";
}

Try / catch

try {
    return await cli.run("get-shader-code", { uniqueId, variant });
} catch (err) {
    if (String(err).includes("Unknown variant")) {
        console.error(`Invalid variant "${variant}"; use compiled, raw, or beforeMigration.`);
        return cli.run("get-shader-code", { uniqueId }); // default variant
    }
    throw err;
}

Prevention

Use a TypeScript literal-union type ("compiled" | "raw" | "beforeMigration") for the variant in calling code
Omit the variant argument when you want the default compiled output
Keep variant strings lowercase and avoid building them dynamically from user input without validation

When it happens

Trigger: Calling get-shader-code with a variant string other than "compiled", "raw", or "beforeMigration" — typos, wrong casing (e.g. "Compiled", "COMPILED"), or invented names like "vertex" or "source".

Common situations: Typo or wrong casing in a CLI call or automation script; copying an argument from another tool's API; assuming case-insensitive matching; outdated scripts using variant names from an older inspector version.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Must be a positive integer", "Invalid value", "Unsupported": the invalid-argument-value error family, when a library rejects the value you pass — this error's family across 35 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of BabylonJS/Babylon.js@0592b347b8 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/54c2b67e16eb0383. Report an issue: GitHub.