multica-ai/multica · warning

--value is required

Error message

--value is required

What it means

Thrown by `multica issue metadata set` when the --value flag was never passed on the command line. The code uses cmd.Flags().Changed("value") rather than comparing the string, so an explicitly empty `--value ""` IS accepted — the error only fires when the flag is absent entirely.

Source

Thrown at server/cmd/multica/cmd_issue_metadata.go:257

	}

	output, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("output")
	if output == "json" {
		return cli.PrintJSON(os.Stdout, value)
	}
	headers := []string{"KEY", "VALUE", "TYPE"}
	rows := [][]string{{key, formatMetadataValue(value), metadataValueType(value)}}
	cli.PrintTable(os.Stdout, headers, rows)
	return nil
}

func runIssueMetadataSet(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
	key, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("key")
	if key == "" {
		return fmt.Errorf("--key is required")
	}
	if !cmd.Flags().Changed("value") {
		return fmt.Errorf("--value is required")
	}
	rawValue, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("value")
	forcedType, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("type")
	value, err := parseMetadataValue(rawValue, forcedType)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	client, err := newAPIClient(cmd)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	ctx, cancel := cli.APIContext(context.Background())
	defer cancel()

	issueRef, err := resolveIssueRef(ctx, client, args[0])
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("resolve issue: %w", err)

View on GitHub (pinned to 2c0912b6ec)

Solutions

1. Always pass --value, even when storing an empty string: `--value ""` is valid and distinct from omitting the flag
2. In scripts, verify the flag presence (`[[ $# --value present ]]`) before calling the command

Example fix

# before
multica issue metadata set MUL-1 --key priority
# after (set to empty string explicitly)
multica issue metadata set MUL-1 --key priority --value ""

# distinguish 'flag absent' from 'empty value' in wrappers
if ! grep -q -- '--value' <<< "$*"; then echo "--value is required" >&2; exit 2; fi

When it happens

Trigger: Running the command with --key but no --value at all. Note `--value ""` (explicitly empty) passes this check; omitting the flag does not.

Common situations: Scripts building flags conditionally where the value branch is skipped, users expecting the CLI to prompt for a missing value, or a copied command line with the value truncated.

Related errors

• --kind must be schedule or webhook
• --cron is required for --kind schedule
• --timezone is only valid with --kind schedule
• --cron is only valid with --kind schedule
• no fields to update; use --enabled, --cron, --timezone, or -

AI-assisted analysis of multica-ai/multica@2c0912b6ec (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9da0b288c84d7e4d. Report an issue: GitHub.