affaan-m/ECC · warning · Error

${argument} requires a value.

Error message

${argument} requires a value.

What it means

In memory.js parseArgs, any flag in VALUE_OPTIONS (--body-file, --from, --limit, --source-harness, --target-harness, --title) or REPEAT_OPTIONS (--kind, --link, --scope, --tag, --target) must be followed by a value token. If the next token is undefined (end of args) or starts with '--' (looks like another flag), the parser throws `${argument} requires a value.` The guard prevents consuming the next flag as a value.

Source

Thrown at scripts/memory.js:110

    return { command: 'help', options: {}, positionals: [] };
  }
  const [command, ...args] = argv;
  const parsed = args.reduce((state, argument, index) => {
    if (state.skipNext) {
      return { ...state, skipNext: false };
    }
    if (BOOLEAN_OPTIONS.has(argument)) {
      return {
        ...state,
        options: { ...state.options, [BOOLEAN_OPTIONS.get(argument)]: true },
      };
    }
    const valueKey = VALUE_OPTIONS.get(argument);
    const repeatKey = REPEAT_OPTIONS.get(argument);
    if (valueKey || repeatKey) {
      const value = args[index + 1];
      if (value === undefined || value.startsWith('--')) {
        throw new Error(`${argument} requires a value.`);
      }
      return {
        ...state,
        options: repeatKey
          ? appendOption(state.options, repeatKey, value)
          : { ...state.options, [valueKey]: value },
        skipNext: true,
      };
    }
    if (argument.startsWith('-')) {
      throw new Error(`Unknown option: ${argument}`);
    }
    return { ...state, positionals: [...state.positionals, argument] };
  }, { options: {}, positionals: [], skipNext: false });

  return {
    command,
    options: parsed.options,

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

1. Provide a value after each value/repeat flag.
2. Quote values containing special characters: `--title "Release 2025-08"`.
3. If a shell variable may be empty, default it: `--title "${TITLE:?title required}"`.
4. Run `memory` with no args / --help to see which flags need values.

Example fix

# before
ecc memory save --title --body-file notes.md

# after
ecc memory save --title "Release notes" --body-file notes.md

const VALUE_OR_REPEAT = new Set(['--body-file','--from','--limit','--source-harness','--target-harness','--title','--kind','--link','--scope','--tag','--target']);
function assertMemoryValuesPresent(argv) {
  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
    if (VALUE_OR_REPEAT.has(argv[i])) {
      const next = argv[i + 1];
      if (next === undefined || next.startsWith('--')) throw new Error(`${argv[i]} requires a value.`);
    }
  }
}

try { parseArgs(process.argv); }
catch (err) { if (/requires a value\./.test(err.message)) { console.error(err.message); usage(2); } else throw err; }

When it happens

Trigger: Ending the command with a value flag: `memory save --title`. Placing two value flags back to back: `memory save --title --body-file x.md`. A negative-style value the user forgot to quote that the parser sees as flag-like.

Common situations: Editing a long memory command and dropping a value. Scripted invocation where a variable expanded to empty, so the flag is followed by the next flag.

Related errors

• Unknown option: ${argument}
• ${command} does not accept positional arguments.
• ${label} may be provided only once.
• Unknown argument: ${arg}
• ${flagName} requires a value

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/294a224a66a6e2ed. Report an issue: GitHub.