%s error: command line argument --java-package or --bundle-n

Error message

%s error: command line argument --java-package or --bundle-name without --write-java\n

What it means

The --java-package and --bundle-name flags only configure Java ListResourceBundle output, so genrb requires --write-java to also be present. The check at genrb.cpp:179-186 sets illegalArg=true if either JAVA_PACKAGE or BUNDLE_NAME occurs while WRITE_JAVA does not. Without --write-java these flags have no effect and almost always indicate a copy-paste or script bug.

Source

Thrown at deps/icu-small/source/tools/genrb/genrb.cpp:181

    }
    if(options[FORMAT_VERSION].doesOccur) {
        const char *s = options[FORMAT_VERSION].value;
        if(uprv_strlen(s) != 1 || (s[0] < '1' || '3' < s[0])) {
            fprintf(stderr, "%s: unsupported --formatVersion %s\n", argv[0], s);
            illegalArg = true;
        } else if(s[0] == '1' &&
                  (options[WRITE_POOL_BUNDLE].doesOccur || options[USE_POOL_BUNDLE].doesOccur)
        ) {
            fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot combine --formatVersion 1 with --writePoolBundle or --usePoolBundle\n", argv[0]);
            illegalArg = true;
        } else {
            setFormatVersion(s[0] - '0');
        }
    }

    if((options[JAVA_PACKAGE].doesOccur || options[BUNDLE_NAME].doesOccur) &&
            !options[WRITE_JAVA].doesOccur) {
        fprintf(stderr,
                "%s error: command line argument --java-package or --bundle-name "
                "without --write-java\n",
                argv[0]);
        illegalArg = true;
    }

    if(options[VERSION].doesOccur) {
        fprintf(stderr,
                "%s version %s (ICU version %s).\n"
                "%s\n",
                argv[0], GENRB_VERSION, U_ICU_VERSION, U_COPYRIGHT_STRING);
        if(!illegalArg) {
            return U_ZERO_ERROR;
        }
    }

    if(illegalArg || options[HELP1].doesOccur || options[HELP2].doesOccur) {
        /*

View on GitHub (pinned to 1b2de5e052)

Solutions

Add --write-java (optionally followed by an output encoding): `genrb --write-java --java-package com.example.i18n root.txt`.
If Java output was not intended, remove the --java-package / --bundle-name flags entirely.

Example fix

// before
genrb --java-package com.example.i18n root.txt
// after
genrb --write-java --java-package com.example.i18n root.txt

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

java_pkg="${JAVA_PACKAGE:-}"
bundle_name="${BUNDLE_NAME:-}"
if [ -n "$java_pkg" ] || [ -n "$bundle_name" ]; then
  if [ -z "$WRITE_JAVA" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: --java-package/--bundle-name require --write-java" >&2
    exit 2
  fi
fi

Prevention

Group all Java-output flags behind a single WRITE_JAVA variable in your build script so they are emitted together.

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `genrb --java-package com.example.i18n root.txt` or `genrb --bundle-name MyElements root.txt` without `-j`/`--write-java`.

Common situations: A build script that conditionally adds --java-package based on a variable but unconditionally forgets --write-java; migrating a Java-output pipeline and dropping the -j line.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of nodejs/node@1b2de5e052 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3788d5f3b3ce282f. Report an issue: GitHub.