Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-codex · error · AutoresearchGoalError

Missing value for ${flag}.

Error message

Missing value for ${flag}.

What it means

readValue() in the autoresearch-goal CLI throws when a flag is present but its following argument is missing or looks like another flag (starts with '--'). Flags support both `--flag value` and `--flag=value` forms.

Source

Thrown at src/cli/autoresearch-goal.ts:52

Goal-mode boundary:
  This command does not revive deprecated omx autoresearch and does not mutate hidden Codex /goal state.
  It writes durable OMX artifacts and prints a model-facing handoff for get_goal/create_goal/update_goal.
  Completion is blocked until professor-critic validation records verdict=pass.
`;

function hasFlag(args: readonly string[], flag: string): boolean {
  return args.includes(flag);
}

function readValue(args: readonly string[], flag: string): string | undefined {
  const prefix = `${flag}=`;
  const inline = args.find((arg) => arg.startsWith(prefix));
  if (inline !== undefined) return inline.slice(prefix.length);
  const index = args.indexOf(flag);
  if (index < 0) return undefined;
  const value = args[index + 1];
  if (!value || value.startsWith('--')) throw new AutoresearchGoalError(`Missing value for ${flag}.`);
  return value;
}

async function readMaybeFile(value: string | undefined): Promise<string | undefined> {
  if (!value) return undefined;
  if (value.startsWith('@')) return readFile(value.slice(1), 'utf-8');
  return value;
}

function positionalText(args: readonly string[]): string {
  const valueTaking = new Set(['--topic', '--rubric', '--critic-command', '--slug', '--verdict', '--evidence', '--summary', '--artifact', '--codex-goal-json']);
  const words: string[] = [];
  for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
    const arg = args[i];
    if (valueTaking.has(arg)) { i += 1; continue; }
    if (arg.startsWith('--')) continue;
    words.push(arg);
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to 3ad79a8a6f)

Solutions

1. Use the inline form `--flag=value` which cannot be confused with following flags
2. Ensure every flag is followed by a concrete value, or omit the flag entirely if it is optional
3. Check the error message — it names exactly which flag lacked a value

Example fix

// before
omx autoresearch-goal verdict --slug --verdict pass
// after
omx autoresearch-goal verdict --slug=my-goal --verdict pass

function readValueSafe(args: string[], flag: string): string | undefined {
  const i = args.indexOf(flag);
  if (i < 0) return undefined;
  const v = args[i+1];
  if (!v || v.startsWith('--')) throw new UsageError(`Missing value for ${flag}`);
  return v;
}

try { await autoresearchGoalCommand(argv); } catch (e) { if (e instanceof AutoresearchGoalError && e.message.startsWith('Missing value for')) printUsage(); else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Passing `--slug` as the last argument with no value, or `--slug --verdict pass` where the next token starts with '--'. The error names the offending flag in the message.

Common situations: Optional flags chained so one flag's value slot is consumed check fails (e.g. `--summary --artifact x`), scripts omitting a value when a variable is empty, or copy-paste editing that drops a value.

Related errors

• Unknown adapt argument: ${arg}
• Unknown adapt subcommand: ${subcommand}. Supported subcomman
• agents-init accepts at most one path argument.\n${AGENTS_INI
• unknown agents subcommand: ${subcommand}
• [ask] invalid --agent-prompt role "${role}". Expected lowerc

AI-assisted analysis of Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-codex@3ad79a8a6f (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c1456e9d9e4ae382. Report an issue: GitHub.