affaan-m/ECC · error · Error

Unknown argument: ${arg}

Error message

Unknown argument: ${arg}

What it means

Thrown at the end of platform-audit's parseArgs loop when a token matched no recognized flag. The parser handles --help, --format(+==), --json, --markdown, --root(+==), --repo(+==), --skip-github, --allow-untracked(+==), --write(+==), the three --max-* integer flags(+==), --use-env-github-token, and --exit-code; anything else is rejected outright rather than silently ignored.

Source

Thrown at scripts/platform-audit.js:202

      continue;
    }

    if (arg.startsWith('--max-dirty-files=')) {
      parsed.thresholds.maxDirtyFiles = parseIntegerFlag(arg.slice('--max-dirty-files='.length), '--max-dirty-files');
      continue;
    }

    if (arg === '--use-env-github-token') {
      parsed.useEnvGithubToken = true;
      continue;
    }

    if (arg === '--exit-code') {
      parsed.exitCode = true;
      continue;
    }

    throw new Error(`Unknown argument: ${arg}`);
  }

  if (!['text', 'json', 'markdown'].includes(parsed.format)) {
    throw new Error(`Invalid format: ${parsed.format}. Use text, json, or markdown.`);
  }

  if (parsed.writePath && parsed.format === 'text') {
    throw new Error('--write requires --json, --markdown, or --format json|markdown');
  }

  parsed.allowUntracked = parsed.allowUntracked.map(normalizeRelativePrefix);

  return parsed;
}

function normalizeRelativePrefix(value) {
  return String(value || '')
    .replace(/\\/g, '/')

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

1. Run `--help` to list every accepted flag for this installed version.
2. Quote shell arguments and check glob expansion if a path was intended.
3. Use the `=` form for value flags to reduce ordering mistakes that masquerade as unknown args.

Example fix

# before
node scripts/platform-audit.js --alllow-untracked src/ --repo owner/repo
# after
node scripts/platform-audit.js --allow-untracked src/ --repo owner/repo

const ACCEPTED_PLATFORM_AUDIT_FLAGS = new Set([
  '--help','-h','--format','--json','--markdown','--root','--repo',
  '--skip-github','--allow-untracked','--write','--max-open-prs',
  '--max-open-issues','--max-dirty-files','--use-env-github-token','--exit-code'
]);
function isAcceptedFlag(token) {
  const base = token.split('=')[0];
  return ACCEPTED_PLATFORM_AUDIT_FLAGS.has(base);
}

function isKnownPlatformAuditFlag(token) {
  const base = token.startsWith('--') ? token.split('=')[0] : token;
  return ACCEPTED_PLATFORM_AUDIT_FLAGS.has(base);
}

try {
  parseArgs(process.argv);
} catch (err) {
  if (err.message.startsWith('Unknown argument')) {
    console.error(`${err.message}. Run --help for the accepted flag list.`);
    process.exit(2);
  }
  throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: A typo like `--jsom` or `--alllow-untracked`; passing a positional repo path instead of `--repo`; using a flag from a newer/older version; an unintended shell expansion injecting a stray token.

Common situations: Version drift between the docs the user read and the installed script; copy-pasting flags from a different tool; shell glob expanding to multiple words the parser sees as flags.

Related errors

• ${flagName} requires a value
• Invalid ${flagName}: ${value}
• Invalid format: ${parsed.format}. Use text, json, or markdow
• --write requires --json, --markdown, or --format json|markdo
• Unknown argument: ${arg}

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4e31f22d11b425d7. Report an issue: GitHub.