chocolatey/choco · error · ApplicationException

Name is required. Please pass in a name for the new package.

Error message

Name is required. Please pass in a name for the new package.

What it means

The new command generates a package skeleton and needs a package name. Validate() throws if configuration.NewCommand.Name is blank, because there is no identifier for the generated nuspec/folder. The name is resolved in ParseAdditionalArguments from the first non-flag, non-'key=value' positional token.

Source

Thrown at src/chocolatey/infrastructure.app/commands/ChocolateyNewCommand.cs:109

                    var propValue = property[1].TrimSafe().UnquoteSafe();

                    if (configuration.NewCommand.TemplateProperties.ContainsKey(propName))
                    {
                        this.Log().Warn(() => "A value for '{0}' has already been added with the value '{1}'. Ignoring {0}='{2}'.".FormatWith(propName, configuration.NewCommand.TemplateProperties[propName], propValue));
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        configuration.NewCommand.TemplateProperties.Add(propName, propValue);
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        public virtual void Validate(ChocolateyConfiguration configuration)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(configuration.NewCommand.Name))
            {
                throw new ApplicationException("Name is required. Please pass in a name for the new package.");
            }

            if (configuration.NewCommand.Name.StartsWith("-file", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) || configuration.NewCommand.Name.StartsWith("--file", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
            {
                throw new ApplicationException(@"Automatic package creation from installer files only available in Business
 edition. See https://chocolatey.org/compare for details.");
            }
        }

        public virtual void HelpMessage(ChocolateyConfiguration configuration)
        {
            this.Log().Info(ChocolateyLoggers.Important, "New Command");
            this.Log().Info(@"
Chocolatey will generate package specification files for a new package.
");

            "chocolatey".Log().Info(ChocolateyLoggers.Important, "Usage");
            "chocolatey".Log().Info(@"

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d5abdd10c)

Solutions

Pass a name positionally: 'choco new MyPackage'.
In automation, assert the name variable is non-empty before invoking choco new.
Ensure the name token doesn't start with '-' or contain '=' so it is recognized as the name.

Example fix

# before
choco new Version=1.0

# after
choco new MyPackage Version=1.0

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Ensure a non-empty name before 'choco new'.
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name) || name.StartsWith("-") || name.Contains("="))
{
    throw new InvalidOperationException("choco new requires a package name (no leading '-', no '=')");
}
RunChoco($"new {name}");

Prevention

Always pass a plain package name as the first positional token to 'choco new'.
Don't lead the command with template properties (Version=...); put the name first.
Assert the name variable is non-empty in automation.

When it happens

Trigger: Running 'choco new' with no positional name (only flags/properties like Version=1.0), or where every positional token starts with '-' or contains '='.

Common situations: Bare 'choco new'; scripts where the name variable is empty; passing only template properties without a name.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of chocolatey/choco@0d5abdd10c (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/57f59243adcf5777. Report an issue: GitHub.