dianping/cat · error · Error

Invalid argument length

Error message

Invalid argument length

What it means

mapArguments converts the convenience argument forms of alert/confirm/prompt into a single options object. It accepts exactly 1 or 2 arguments: either (options) or (str/prim, callback). Zero arguments, or three or more, throw 'Invalid argument length' before any dialog is created.

Source

Thrown at cat-home/src/main/webapp/assets/js/uncompressed/bootbox.js:207

    return options;
  }

  /**
   * map a flexible set of arguments into a single returned object
   * if args.length is already one just return it, otherwise
   * use the properties argument to map the unnamed args to
   * object properties
   * so in the latter case:
   * mapArguments(["foo", $.noop], ["message", "callback"])
   * -> { message: "foo", callback: $.noop }
   */
  function mapArguments(args, properties) {
    var argn = args.length;
    var options = {};

    if (argn < 1 || argn > 2) {
      throw new Error("Invalid argument length");
    }

    if (argn === 2 || typeof args[0] === "string") {
      options[properties[0]] = args[0];
      options[properties[1]] = args[1];
    } else {
      options = args[0];
    }

    return options;
  }

  /**
   * merge a set of default dialog options with user supplied arguments
   */
  function mergeArguments(defaults, args, properties) {
    return $.extend(
      // deep merge

View on GitHub (pinned to e815e74d4c)

Solutions

1. Pass at most (message, callback): bootbox.confirm('Proceed?', function(result){ ... }) — branch on the boolean result inside.
2. Pass a single options object when you need more configuration: bootbox.confirm({message: '...', callback: fn, title: '...'}).
3. If wrapping bootbox dynamically, normalize first: pick the first 1-2 meaningful args or build an options object yourself.

Example fix

// before
bootbox.confirm('Delete this record?', function () { remove(); }, function () {});

// after
bootbox.confirm('Delete this record?', function (result) { if (result) remove(); });

function showConfirm(msg, cb) {
  cb = typeof cb === 'function' ? cb : null;
  if (cb) bootbox.confirm(msg, cb); else bootbox.confirm({message: msg});
}
// never forward raw arguments objects of unknown length

function isValidBootboxArgs(args) {
  return args.length >= 1 && args.length <= 2 &&
    (typeof args[0] === 'string' || (args[0] && typeof args[0] === 'object'));
}

When it happens

Trigger: bootbox.alert() with no arguments; bootbox.confirm('Proceed?', yesFn, noFn) — confirm supports only one callback (both outcomes go through it); forwarding an arguments object or spread of unknown length into a bootbox wrapper: bootbox.alert.apply(null, args).

Common situations: Copy-pasting from a two-callback dialog API (jQuery UI, native confirm patterns) into bootbox; a wrapper function using .apply with caller-controlled args; forgetting the message argument in a cleanup/dead code path that still executes.

Related errors

• Please supply an object of options
• button key {key} is not allowed (options are {buttons})
• Please specify a message
• button with key {key} must be an object
• alert requires callback property to be a function when provi

AI-assisted analysis of dianping/cat@e815e74d4c (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6c9bc15c8cb960fd. Report an issue: GitHub.