karatelabs/karate · error · RuntimeException

missing argument for pathMatches()

Error message

missing argument for pathMatches()

What it means

The request.pathMatches() invokable requires one argument (a URI-template pattern) to test against the request path. With zero arguments it throws RuntimeException 'missing argument for pathMatches()'.

Solutions

1. Pass the path pattern: request.pathMatches('/api/{version}/items')
2. Verify the pattern variable is non-empty before the call
3. Use the plain path accessor if you only need the path without matching

Example fix

// before
var m = request.pathMatches();
// after
var m = request.pathMatches('/users/{id}');

if (pattern == null || pattern.isEmpty()) throw new IllegalArgumentException("path pattern required");

function requireArg(pattern, args) { if (args == null || args.length === 0) throw new Error('missing argument for pathMatches()'); return pattern; }

try { var m = request.pathMatches('/users/{id}'); } catch (RuntimeException e) { /* fix call site: pattern missing */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling request.pathMatches() with no arguments instead of request.pathMatches('/users/{id}').

Common situations: Dropped pattern argument in mock/route scripts, empty variable interpolated as the pattern, confusion with a no-arg path getter.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• missing argument for header()
• missing argument for headerValues()
• missing argument for param()
• missing argument for paramInt()
• missing argument for paramJson()

AI-assisted analysis of karatelabs/karate@a22eb90246 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3bb089d9c367c467. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at karate-core/src/main/java/io/karatelabs/http/HttpRequest.java:665

        };
    }

    private JavaInvokable headerValues() {
        return args -> {
            if (args.length > 0) {
                return getHeaderValues(args[0] + "");
            } else {
                throw new RuntimeException("missing argument for headerValues()");
            }
        };
    }

    private JavaInvokable pathMatches() {
        return args -> {
            if (args.length > 0) {
                return pathMatches(args[0] + "");
            } else {
                throw new RuntimeException("missing argument for pathMatches()");
            }
        };
    }

    private JavaInvokable multiPart() {
        return args -> {
            if (args.length > 0) {
                return getMultiPart(args[0] + "");
            } else {
                throw new RuntimeException("missing argument for multiPart()");
            }
        };
    }

    private JavaInvokable file() {
        return args -> {
            if (args.length > 0) {
                return getFile(args[0] + "");

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