angular/angular-cli · error · CommandModuleError

Invalid Path.

Error message

Invalid Path.

What it means

The `ng config` command's set() method writes a value into angular.json (or the global .angular-config) at a JSON path supplied via --json-path. If the path option is missing or only whitespace, it throws CommandModuleError('Invalid Path.') because there is nothing to target.

Source

Thrown at packages/angular/cli/src/commands/config/cli.ts:97

      ? jsonFile.get(parseJsonPath(options.jsonPath))
      : jsonFile.content;

    if (value === undefined) {
      logger.error('Value cannot be found.');

      return 1;
    } else if (typeof value === 'string') {
      logger.info(value);
    } else {
      logger.info(JSON.stringify(value, null, 2));
    }

    return 0;
  }

  private async set(options: Options<ConfigCommandArgs>): Promise<number | void> {
    if (!options.jsonPath?.trim()) {
      throw new CommandModuleError('Invalid Path.');
    }

    const [config, configPath] = await getWorkspaceRaw(options.global ? 'global' : 'local');
    const { logger } = this.context;

    if (!config || !configPath) {
      throw new CommandModuleError('Confguration file cannot be found.');
    }

    const normalizeUUIDValue = (v: string | undefined) => (v === '' ? randomUUID() : `${v}`);

    const value =
      options.jsonPath === 'cli.analyticsSharing.uuid'
        ? normalizeUUIDValue(options.value)
        : options.value;

    const modified = config.modify(parseJsonPath(options.jsonPath), normalizeValue(value));

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Pass a full JSON path, e.g. `ng config cli.defaultCollection "@angular/scss"` or `ng config schematics.@schematics/angular.component.style scss`
2. If using a shell variable, verify it is non-empty before invoking: echo "$PATH_VAR"
3. Check quoting so the path isn't consumed by the shell
4. Use `ng config --help` to confirm the expected argument order

Example fix

// before
ng config "" newvalue
// after
ng config cli.defaultCollection newvalue

if (!jsonPath || !jsonPath.trim()) {
  throw new CommandModuleError('Invalid Path.');
}
await ngConfigSet(jsonPath, value);

function isValidJsonPathInput(p: string | undefined | null): p is string {
  return typeof p === 'string' && p.trim().length > 0;
}

try {
  await configCommand.run({ jsonPath: myPath, value } as any);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof CommandModuleError && e.message === 'Invalid Path.') {
    logger.error('Usage: ng config <json-path> <value>');
  } else { throw e; }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `ng config` set without the jsonPath argument (`ng config cli.defaultCollection` with no path), or passing an empty/whitespace-only path (`ng config " " value`).

Common situations: Shell quoting errors that drop the argument; scripting the command with a variable that resolves to empty string; typos like forgetting the key entirely while only passing a value.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• Could not find ${level} workspace.
• Invalid config found at ${workspace.filePath}. CLI should be
• Cannot retrieve cache configuration as workspace is not defi
• Confguration file cannot be found.
• Invalid JSON path.

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ed07d393cf773e5e. Report an issue: GitHub.