dbt-labs/dbt-core · error

args should parse

Error message

args should parse

What it means

Test-helper assertion in parse_core_command: the argument list under test must parse into a CliParser command. Fires only when a CLI parsing regression makes previously valid argument combinations fail.

Solutions

1. Inspect which flag combination fails to parse and fix the clap definition
2. Re-run the CLI parsing tests to find the offending change
3. Treat failure as a CLI compatibility regression

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at crates/dbt-clap-core/src/lib.rs:3703 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of dbt-labs/dbt-core@0267ce9170 (2026-09-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/75a8b8cfc3e3bfe9. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/dbt-clap-core/src/lib.rs:3703

        );
    }

    fn test_system_args(command: FsCommand) -> SystemArgs {
        SystemArgs {
            command,
            io: IoArgs::default(),
            from_main: false,
            exit_process_on_panic: false,
            num_threads: None,
            no_parallel: false,
            target: None,
        }
    }

    fn parse_core_command(args: &[&str]) -> CoreCommand {
        let cli = CliParser::new("dbt-fusion", "2.0.0", Box::new(NoopParser))
            .try_parse_from(std::iter::once("dbt").chain(args.iter().copied()))
            .expect("args should parse");
        match cli.command {
            Command::Core(cmd) => cmd,
            Command::Extension(_) => panic!("expected a core command"),
        }
    }

    #[test]
    fn top_level_freshness_command_parses_and_is_not_sources_only() {
        let cmd = parse_core_command(&["freshness", "--select", "stg_orders+"]);

        let CoreCommand::Freshness(args) = &cmd else {
            panic!("expected CoreCommand::Freshness, got {cmd:?}");
        };
        assert_eq!(
            args.common_args.select.as_deref(),
            Some(["stg_orders+".to_string()].as_slice())
        );
        assert!(!cmd.as_command().is_sources_only_freshness());

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