affaan-m/ECC · error

Missing value for --db

Error message

Missing value for --db

What it means

scripts/status.js requires a value for the --db flag (a path to the database). After the argument loop, parseArgs checks `args.includes('--db') && !parsed.dbPath` and throws "Missing value for --db" when the flag was present but no value was captured (e.g. the flag was last, or followed by another flag that the loop did not bind as its value).

Solutions

1. Provide the path immediately after the flag: `--db /path/to/db.sqlite`.
2. Ensure the supplying shell variable is non-empty (quote and check it).
3. Omit --db entirely to use the default database location, if acceptable.

Example fix

// before
node scripts/status.js --db
// after
node scripts/status.js --db ./data/status.db --json

const dbIdx = process.argv.indexOf('--db');
if (dbIdx !== -1 && (!process.argv[dbIdx + 1] || process.argv[dbIdx + 1].startsWith('--'))) {
  throw new Error('Missing value for --db');
}

try {
  runStatus(argv);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message === 'Missing value for --db') {
    console.error('Usage: node scripts/status.js --db <path> [flags]');
    process.exitCode = 1;
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `node scripts/status.js --db` with nothing after it, or `--db --json` where --json is parsed as its own flag leaving dbPath unset.

Common situations: Forgetting the path; an empty shell variable expansion (`--db "$DB_PATH"` with DB_PATH unset); reordering flags so --db ends up last without a value.

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.
• requires a value
• requires a value
• requires a value
• Missing value for

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@8321021c54 (2026-09-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/44cc44a4eb9f7295. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at scripts/status.js:67

    } else if (arg === '--write') {
      parsed.writePath = args[index + 1] || null;
      index += 1;
    } else if (arg === '--limit') {
      parsed.limit = args[index + 1] || null;
      index += 1;
    } else if (arg === '--help' || arg === '-h') {
      parsed.help = true;
    } else {
      throw new Error(`Unknown argument: ${arg}`);
    }
  }

  if (parsed.json && parsed.markdown) {
    throw new Error('Choose only one output format: --json or --markdown');
  }

  if (args.includes('--db') && !parsed.dbPath) {
    throw new Error('Missing value for --db');
  }

  if (args.includes('--write') && !parsed.writePath) {
    throw new Error('Missing value for --write');
  }

  if (args.includes('--limit') && !parsed.limit) {
    throw new Error('Missing value for --limit');
  }

  return parsed;
}

function printActiveSessions(section) {
  console.log(`Active sessions: ${section.activeCount}`);
  if (section.sessions.length === 0) {
    console.log('  - none');
    return;

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