affaan-m/ECC · error · Error

requires a value

Error message

${flagName} requires a value

What it means

readValue in observability-readiness.js fetches the value following a value-taking flag (e.g. --root, --format). If the next token is absent or looks like another flag (starts with '--'), it throws this error rather than silently consuming a flag as a value.

Solutions

1. Supply the value directly after the flag: `--format json`, `--root ./docs`.
2. Reorder arguments so value-taking flags are followed by their values, not other flags.
3. Guard shell variables: `--root "${ROOT:?ROOT not set}"`.
4. For --format, use the literal values text or json.

Example fix

// before
node scripts/observability-readiness.js --format --json
// after
node scripts/observability-readiness.js --format json

const i = args.indexOf('--format');
if (i !== -1 && (!args[i+1] || args[i+1].startsWith('--'))) throw new Error('--format needs a value immediately after it');

try {
  runObservability(argv);
} catch (err) {
  if (err.message.endsWith('requires a value')) {
    console.error('Provide the flag value immediately after the flag name.');
  } else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running the script with `--format` as the last argument, or `--format --json` where the value slot is filled by another flag; any value-bearing flag immediately followed by another flag or end of argv.

Common situations: Shell variables expanding to empty strings before a flag value; copy-paste dropping the value; reordering CLI flags so a value flag sits last; empty config variable interpolation like `--root $ROOT` with ROOT unset.

Understand the failure class

Background: "no subcommand specified" and "... is required": CLI errors when a required argument is missing — this error's family across 13 libraries.

Related errors

• requires a value
• Missing value for --install-dir.
• An executable is required after --.
• An install config path is required
• At least one --target is required for handoffs.

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@8321021c54 (2026-09-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b9f744cb082df292. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at scripts/observability-readiness.js:25

const RUBRIC_VERSION = '2026-05-11';

function usage() {
  console.log([
    'Usage: node scripts/observability-readiness.js [--format <text|json>] [--root <dir>]',
    '',
    'Deterministic ECC 2.0 observability readiness gate.',
    '',
    'Options:',
    '  --format <text|json>  Output format (default: text)',
    '  --root <dir>          Repository root to inspect (default: cwd)',
    '  --help, -h            Show this help'
  ].join('\n'));
}

function readValue(args, index, flagName) {
  const value = args[index + 1];
  if (!value || value.startsWith('--')) {
    throw new Error(`${flagName} requires a value`);
  }
  return value;
}

function parseArgs(argv) {
  const args = argv.slice(2);
  const parsed = {
    format: 'text',
    help: false,
    root: path.resolve(process.cwd())
  };

  for (let index = 0; index < args.length; index += 1) {
    const arg = args[index];

    if (arg === '--help' || arg === '-h') {
      parsed.help = true;
      continue;

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