affaan-m/ECC · error · Error

${flagName} requires a value

Error message

${flagName} requires a value

What it means

Thrown by readValue() in scripts/github-coordination.js when a value-expecting flag (like --repo, --issue, --config, --limit, --home) is either the last argument or is followed by another flag (a token starting with '--'). The function checks that the next token exists and does not look like a flag name.

Source

Thrown at scripts/github-coordination.js:53

    '  --repo <owner/repo>      GitHub repository',
    '  --issue <number>         Issue number for actions that target one issue',
    '  --actor <login>          Claim owner / coordination actor',
    '  --branch <name>          Epic branch name to stamp into the coordination body',
    '  --config <path>          Optional coordination policy config',
    '  --db <path>              SQLite state store path',
    '  --home <dir>             Override home directory used by the state store',
    '  --limit <n>              Limit issues scanned by sync/unblock',
    '  --dry-run                Preview changes without modifying GitHub or state',
    '  --json                   Emit machine-readable JSON',
    '  --help, -h               Show this help',
  ].join('\n'));
  process.exit(exitCode);
}

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

// Boolean flags: map flag string → setter(parsed)
const BOOL_FLAGS = new Map([
  ['--help',    p => { p.help = true; }],
  ['-h',        p => { p.help = true; }],
  ['--json',    p => { p.json = true; }],
  ['--dry-run', p => { p.dryRun = true; }],
]);

// Value flags: map flag string → setter(parsed, value)
const VALUE_FLAGS = new Map([
  ['--repo',          (p, v) => { p.repo = v; }],
  ['--actor',         (p, v) => { p.actor = v; }],
  ['--branch',        (p, v) => { p.branch = v; }],
  ['--config',        (p, v) => { p.configPath = v; }],

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

1. Provide a value immediately after the flag: `--repo owner/repo`.
2. Reorder arguments so a value-expecting flag is never immediately followed by another flag.
3. Check shell quoting: values with spaces or special characters should be quoted.
4. Run with --help to see which flags require values.

Example fix

// before
node scripts/github-coordination.js sync --repo --issue 5
// after
node scripts/github-coordination.js sync --repo owner/repo --issue 5

function safeReadValue(args, index, flagName) {
  const value = args[index + 1];
  if (!value || value.startsWith('--')) {
    console.error(`${flagName} requires a value. Usage: ${flagName} <value>`);
    process.exit(2);
  }
  return value;
}

function hasFlagValue(args, index) {
  const next = args[index + 1];
  return typeof next === 'string' && next.length > 0 && !next.startsWith('--');
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `node scripts/github-coordination.js --repo` (no value after flag), or `node scripts/github-coordination.js --repo --issue 5` (--repo followed by another flag). Any VALUE_FLAGS entry whose next arg is missing or starts with '--' triggers this.

Common situations: Forgetting to supply the value for a flag, accidentally putting flags in the wrong order, or a shell quoting issue that drops the value. Common with copy-pasted commands where a value was omitted.

Related errors

• Unknown argument: ${arg}
• Unknown command: ${options.command}
• Unknown command: ${firstArg}
• Unknown command: ${resolution.command}
• Unknown argument: ${arg}

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d5c646201e0286a9. Report an issue: GitHub.