apache/pulsar · error · IllegalArgumentException

Cannot use stdin, -e/--execute-command and -f/--filename opt

Error message

Cannot use stdin, -e/--execute-command and -f/--filename option at the same time

What it means

PulsarShell's non-interactive mode requires exactly one input source for commands: stdin, -e/--execute-command (inline), or -f/--filename. isNonInteractiveMode() throws IllegalArgumentException when these are combined (e.g. both stdin and a filename) or the combination is otherwise invalid.

Source

Thrown at pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/shell/PulsarShell.java:473

                return;
            }
        }
    }

    private boolean isNonInteractiveMode() {
        boolean commandOk = true;
        if (mainOptions.inlineCommand != null) {
            if (mainOptions.readFromStdin
                    || mainOptions.filename != null) {
                commandOk = false;
            }
        } else if (mainOptions.readFromStdin
                && mainOptions.filename != null) {
            commandOk = false;
        }

        if (!commandOk) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot use stdin, -e/--execute-command "
                    + "and -f/--filename option at the same time");
        }
        return mainOptions.filename != null || mainOptions.readFromStdin || mainOptions.inlineCommand != null;
    }

    private void printExecutingCommands(Terminal terminal,
                                        CommandsInfo commandsInfo,
                                        boolean printExecuted) {
        if (commandsInfo == null) {
            return;
        }
        terminal.puts(InfoCmp.Capability.clear_screen);
        terminal.flush();
        int index = 1;
        if (printExecuted) {
            for (CommandsInfo.ExecutedCommandInfo executedCommand : commandsInfo.executedCommands) {
                String icon = executedCommand.ok ? CHECKMARK : XMARK;
                final String ansiLog = new AttributedStringBuilder()

View on GitHub (pinned to 820761864e)

Solutions

1. Choose one input source: keep -f and remove piped stdin, or keep the pipe and drop -f.
2. If combining is intended, concatenate the commands into a single file or a single -e string.
3. Review the wrapper script/alias so it does not silently add a second input mechanism.

Example fix

// before
echo 'admin topics list t' | pulsar-shell -f commands.conf
// after
pulsar-shell -f commands.conf        // or pipe only, not both

// bash: ensure at most one input source
SRC=0; [ -n "$FILE" ] && SRC=$((SRC+1)); [ -n "$EXEC" ] && SRC=$((SRC+1)); [ ! -t 0 ] && SRC=$((SRC+1)); [ "$SRC" -le 1 ] || { echo 'use only one of stdin, -e, -f'; exit 1; }

function singleInputSource(opts) { return [opts.filename, opts.inlineCommand, opts.readFromStdin].filter(Boolean).length <= 1; }

try { shell.run(args); } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) { if (e.getMessage().startsWith("Cannot use stdin")) { /* rebuild args with one input source */ } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking the shell with -f <file> while also piping commands via stdin; combining -e with -f; piping into the shell while also passing an inline command.

Common situations: CI wrappers that both pipe a script and pass -f; shell aliases appending -e while the caller pipes input; accidental double input from a generated command line.

Related errors

• '${DEFAULT_CONFIG}' can't be modified.
• ${paramName} cannot be bigger than <${maxValue}>!
• ${paramName} cannot be less than or equal to <0>!
• The value of ${paramName} can't be empty
• ${name} cannot be less than <${min}>!

AI-assisted analysis of apache/pulsar@820761864e (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/81f45bfad3e0cc16. Report an issue: GitHub.