larksuite/cli · error

unknown value source %q

Error message

unknown value source %q

What it means

validateInputCLI validates each entry of field.cli.ValueSources against the known sources (flag, file, stdin). Any string that is not one of these three is rejected with the offending value quoted via %q. This keeps the multi-source input machinery finite and explicit: the field can only draw its value from a flag, a file path, or stdin.

Source

Thrown at shortcuts/common/typed_compile_args.go:284

	return nil
}

func validateInputCLI(field *compiledInputField) error {
	if field.cli.Deprecated != "" && !field.cli.Hidden {
		return fmt.Errorf("deprecated primary flag must be hidden")
	}
	if field.required && field.defaultValue.Set {
		return fmt.Errorf("required input cannot declare a default")
	}
	if field.defaultValue.Set {
		if err := valueAssignableTo(field.defaultValue.Value, field.valueType); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("default: %w", err)
		}
	}
	seenSources := make(map[typedValueSource]struct{})
	for _, source := range field.cli.ValueSources {
		if source != typedSourceFlag && source != typedSourceFile && source != typedSourceStdin {
			return fmt.Errorf("unknown value source %q", source)
		}
		if _, duplicate := seenSources[source]; duplicate {
			return fmt.Errorf("duplicate value source %q", source)
		}
		seenSources[source] = struct{}{}
	}
	if len(field.cli.ValueSources) > 0 {
		if _, ok := seenSources[typedSourceFlag]; !ok {
			return fmt.Errorf("ValueSources must include flag")
		}
		if (len(seenSources) > 1) && indirectKind(field.valueType) != reflect.String && field.cli.Encoding != typedEncodingJSON {
			return fmt.Errorf("file/stdin sources require string input or encoding=json")
		}
	}
	kind := indirectKind(field.valueType)
	if kind == reflect.Slice || kind == reflect.Array || kind == reflect.Struct || kind == reflect.Map || kind == reflect.Interface {
		if field.cli.Encoding == "" {
			return fmt.Errorf("%s input must explicitly declare CLI encoding", kind)

View on GitHub (pinned to 7fd6ef3c07)

Solutions

1. Replace the unknown entry with one of: flag, file, or stdin
2. Check the cli tag spelling and case against the documented typedValueSource constants
3. If you need another source, it is not supported - feed the value via flag or file instead

Example fix

// before
ValueSources: []string{"flag", "env"}
// after
ValueSources: []string{"flag", "file"}

var validSources = map[string]bool{"flag": true, "file": true, "stdin": true}
func checkSources(srcs []string) error {
	for _, s := range srcs {
		if !validSources[s] {
			return fmt.Errorf("bad source %q", s)
		}
	}
	return nil
}

if err := compileInput(...); err != nil {
	var ue *fmt.wrapError
	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unknown value source") {
		// correct the cli tag before redeploying
	}
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting ValueSources in the cli tag or InputField.CLI to a misspelled or invented source, e.g. "env", "Flags", "files", or a stale source name removed from the library. Raised by compileInput during shortcut compilation.

Common situations: Typo when hand-writing the cli tag (e.g. "flg" instead of "flag"); guessing source names instead of consulting the documented set; migrating code from an older API where a different source name existed.

Related errors

• duplicate value source %q
• ValueSources must include flag
• file/stdin sources require string input or encoding=json
• please select at least one domain
• %s must contain at most %d characters

AI-assisted analysis of larksuite/cli@7fd6ef3c07 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9bf21dbebdfe6959. Report an issue: GitHub.