nexu-io/open-design · error · Error

flag --${key} requires a value

Error message

flag --${key} requires a value

What it means

Thrown by parseFlags when a declared string flag is the last argv token, so it has no following token to consume as its value. Boolean flags do not need a value; this fires only for flags in the string set.

Source

Thrown at apps/daemon/src/cli.ts:1760

    const eq = a.indexOf('=');
    const key = eq >= 0 ? a.slice(2, eq) : a.slice(2);
    if (knownFlags.size > 0 && !knownFlags.has(key)) {
      throw new Error(
        `unknown flag: --${key}. Run with --help for the list of accepted flags.`,
      );
    }
    if (eq >= 0) {
      out[key] = a.slice(eq + 1);
      continue;
    }
    if (booleanFlags.has(key)) {
      out[key] = true;
      continue;
    }
    if (stringFlags.has(key)) {
      const next = argv[i + 1];
      if (next == null) {
        throw new Error(`flag --${key} requires a value`);
      }
      out[key] = next;
      i++;
      continue;
    }
    const next = argv[i + 1];
    if (next != null && !next.startsWith('--')) {
      out[key] = next;
      i++;
    } else {
      out[key] = true;
    }
  }
  return out;
}

function positionalArgs(argv, stringFlags = new Set()) {
  const out = [];

View on GitHub (pinned to 5be4028344)

Solutions

1. Provide a value as the next token: `--name <value>`.
2. Use the `--key=value` form which keeps flag and value in one token.
3. If the value comes from an env var, default it inside the shell so it is never empty.
4. Re-run with --help to confirm which flags are string flags requiring a value.

Example fix

# before
od automation create --name
# after
od automation create --name daily-brand-report
# or
od automation create --name=daily-brand-report

// in wrapper scripts, ensure every string flag has a value
for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
  if (argv[i].startsWith('--') && !argv[i].includes('=')) {
    const key = argv[i].slice(2);
    if (STRING_FLAGS.has(key) && !argv[i + 1]) {
      throw new Error(`flag --${key} requires a value`);
    }
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking an `od` subcommand with a string flag at the end of the args without a value, e.g. `od automation create --name` (no following value) or `od brand rebuild --id`.

Common situations: Truncated copy-paste of a command; a shell that swallowed the value via unquoted whitespace; an env-var substitution that expanded to empty and was then dropped; forgetting the value entirely.

Related errors

• unknown flag: --${key}. Run with --help for the list of acce
• --schedule is required. Forms: hourly:<minute> | daily:HH:MM
• --schedule hourly requires :<minute>, 0-59
• --schedule ${kind} requires :HH:MM[:TZ]
• invalid JSON in ${filePath}: ${message}

AI-assisted analysis of nexu-io/open-design@5be4028344 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/db03caacacca1130. Report an issue: GitHub.