NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

Missing required parameter

Error message

Missing required parameter '{key}'

What it means

Thrown by RemoteMethod.validate() when an argument map is missing a parameter that is declared required()=true. This is the validate()-path counterpart to the typed get() in LaunchParameter. validate() iterates over the method's declared parameters and checks each argument for presence and type.

Solutions

1. Inspect the method's parameters() map and include every parameter where required() is true.
2. Call validate() early during form/argument construction to surface missing keys before invocation.
3. Use the parameter default values for optional ones instead of omitting them.

Example fix

// before
method.validate(Map.of("x", val)); // 'y' is required but omitted

// after
Map<String,Object> args = new HashMap<>();
args.put("x", val);
args.put("y", yVal);
method.validate(args);

// Pre-validate required keys:
Set<String> requiredKeys = method.parameters().entrySet().stream()
    .filter(e -> e.getValue().required())
    .map(Map.Entry::getKey)
    .collect(Collectors.toSet());
if (!arguments.keySet().containsAll(requiredKeys)) {
    requiredKeys.removeAll(arguments.keySet());
    throw new IllegalStateException("Missing: " + requiredKeys);
}

try {
    method.validate(arguments);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().startsWith("Missing required parameter")) {
        // collect the missing key and request it from the user
    } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling remoteMethod.validate(arguments) where arguments does not contain a key whose RemoteParameter.required() returns true.

Common situations: Pre-testing arguments in UI code before invoking a debugger remote method; constructing the argument map programmatically and forgetting a mandatory key.

Related errors

• Extra argument
• All TraceObject parameters must come from the same trace
• For parameter : argument is not a
• Missing required parameter
• Invalid register name

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/02b2aca86575c2ed. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Debugger-api/src/main/java/ghidra/debug/api/tracermi/RemoteMethod.java:166

	/**
	 * Validate the given argument.
	 * 
	 * <p>
	 * This method is for checking parameter sanity before they are marshalled to the back-end. This
	 * is called automatically during invocation. Clients can use this method to pre-test or
	 * validate in the UI, when invocation is not yet desired.
	 * 
	 * @param arguments the arguments
	 * @return the trace if any object arguments were given, or null
	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the arguments are not valid
	 */
	default Trace validate(Map<String, Object> arguments) {
		Trace trace = null;
		SchemaContext ctx = PrimitiveTraceObjectSchema.MinimalSchemaContext.INSTANCE;
		for (Map.Entry<String, RemoteParameter> ent : parameters().entrySet()) {
			if (!arguments.containsKey(ent.getKey())) {
				if (ent.getValue().required()) {
					throw new IllegalArgumentException(
						"Missing required parameter '" + ent.getKey() + "'");
				}
				continue; // Should not need to check the default value
			}
			Object arg = arguments.get(ent.getKey());
			if (arg instanceof TraceObject obj) {
				if (trace == null) {
					trace = obj.getTrace();
					ctx = trace.getObjectManager().getRootSchema().getContext();
				}
				else if (trace != obj.getTrace()) {
					throw new IllegalArgumentException(
						"All TraceObject parameters must come from the same trace");
				}
			}
			SchemaName schName = ent.getValue().type();
			TraceObjectSchema sch = ctx.getSchemaOrNull(schName);
			checkType(ent.getKey(), schName, sch, arg);

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