iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI · error · ArgumentException

batch: --commands and --input are mutually exclusive. Pick o

Error message

batch: --commands and --input are mutually exclusive. Pick one source.

What it means

Thrown by the `batch` command when both --commands (inline JSON) and --input (file path) are supplied. The two are alternative input sources; providing both is ambiguous so an ArgumentException rejects it before any read happens (line 210-212).

Source

Thrown at src/officecli/CommandBuilder.Batch.cs:211

                // EOF instantly (no payload → no warning); a pipe carrying a
                // real second payload has data ready (warn); an open-but-idle
                // pipe times out and is treated as no payload — batch never
                // reads stdin on this path anyway, so nothing is lost. The
                // possibly-blocked Peek thread is abandoned; the process
                // exits normally.
                try
                {
                    var stdinPeek = System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
                    {
                        try { return StdIn.Peek() != -1; }
                        catch { return false; }
                    });
                    stdinHasInput = stdinPeek.Wait(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50)) && stdinPeek.Result;
                }
                catch { /* keep IsInputRedirected verdict */ }
            }
            if (inlineCommands != null && inputFile != null)
                throw new ArgumentException(
                    "batch: --commands and --input are mutually exclusive. Pick one source.");
            // '--input -' explicitly opts INTO stdin — don't emit the
            // "stdin will be ignored" warning in that case, since stdin
            // is exactly what will be read.
            var inputIsStdinAlias = inputFile != null && inputFile.Name == "-";
            if ((inlineCommands != null || (inputFile != null && !inputIsStdinAlias)) && stdinHasInput
                && Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("OFFICECLI_BATCH_ALLOW_STDIN_REDIRECT") == null)
            {
                Console.Error.WriteLine(
                    "Warning: batch is reading from --commands/--input but stdin is also redirected; "
                    + "stdin will be ignored. Pass only one source to silence this warning, or set "
                    + "OFFICECLI_BATCH_ALLOW_STDIN_REDIRECT=1.");
            }
            if (inlineCommands != null)
            {
                jsonText = inlineCommands;
            }
            else if (inputFile != null)

View on GitHub (pinned to 1ced45e900)

Solutions

1. Choose one source: pass --commands for inline JSON, or --input for a file/stdin. Remove the other.
2. For files/stdin use --input <file> or --input - (stdin alias); for inline use --commands only.
3. If you need to merge, concatenate the JSON arrays into one source first.

Example fix

# before
officecli batch file.docx --commands '[{"command":"get"}]' --input ops.json

# after
officecli batch file.docx --input ops.json

// Ensure exactly one batch input source.
if (inlineCommands != null && inputFile != null)
    throw new ArgumentException("Pass --commands OR --input, not both");

// Guard: a single batch source is selected.
static bool SingleBatchSource(string? inline, string? file) =>
    (inline != null) ^ (file != null) || (inline == null && file == null);

When it happens

Trigger: `officecli batch file.docx --commands '[{...}]' --input ops.json`. inlineCommands != null && inputFile != null triggers the throw.

Common situations: A script defaults to --input but a caller also passes --commands; an agent pastes an inline array while a config file path is still wired in; copy-paste merges two invocations.

Related errors

• invalid_argument
• missing_argument
• Input file not found: {inputFile.FullName}
• invalid_value
• invalid_value

AI-assisted analysis of iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI@1ced45e900 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/00d7892bc1db8e79. Report an issue: GitHub.