puppetlabs/puppet · error · ArgumentError

%{option} after_action requires a block

Error message

%{option} after_action requires a block

What it means

OptionBuilder#after_action, the post-invocation counterpart of before_action, equally requires a block literal (lib/puppet/interface/option_builder.rb:68). A bare `after_action` call inside an option block raises ArgumentError at face-load time with the option name interpolated. The hook runs after the action body completes.

Source

Thrown at lib/puppet/interface/option_builder.rb:68

      # TRANSLATORS 'before_action' is a method name and should not be translated
      raise ArgumentError, _("%{option} already has a before_action set") % { option: @option }
    end
    unless block.arity == 3 then
      # TRANSLATORS 'before_action' is a method name and should not be translated
      raise ArgumentError, _("before_action takes three arguments, action, args, and options")
    end

    @option.before_action = block
  end

  # Sets a block to be executed after an action is invoked.
  # !(see before_action)
  # @api public
  # @dsl Faces
  def after_action(&block)
    unless block
      # TRANSLATORS 'after_action' is a method name and should not be translated
      raise ArgumentError, _("%{option} after_action requires a block") % { option: @option }
    end
    if @option.after_action
      # TRANSLATORS 'after_action' is a method name and should not be translated
      raise ArgumentError, _("%{option} already has an after_action set") % { option: @option }
    end
    unless block.arity == 3 then
      # TRANSLATORS 'after_action' is a method name and should not be translated
      raise ArgumentError, _("after_action takes three arguments, action, args, and options")
    end

    @option.after_action = block
  end

  # Sets whether the option is required. If no argument is given it
  # defaults to setting it as a required option.
  # @api public
  # @dsl Faces
  def required(value = true)

View on GitHub (pinned to e227c27540)

Solutions

1. Always pass a literal block: `after_action { |action, args, options| ... }`
2. Wrap named methods: `after_action { |*a| cleanup(*a) }`
3. Guard conditional registration: `after_action { ... } if cleanup_needed`

Example fix

# before
option "--verbose" do
  after_action
end

# after
option "--verbose" do
  after_action do |action, args, options|
    log_completion(action, options)
  end
end

# when the hook comes from a variable
raise ArgumentError, 'after_action needs a block' if hook.nil?
after_action(&hook) # inside the option block

When it happens

Trigger: `option '--foo' do after_action end` (no block); `after_action(&hook)` where hook is nil.

Common situations: Symmetrical refactoring where before_action got a block but after_action was left as a placeholder; optional cleanup hooks that were never assigned.

Related errors

• %{option} before_action requires a block
• %{option} default_to requires a block
• %{name} can't be optional and have a default value
• default value for %{name} is a %{class_name}, not a proc
• before action hook for %{name} is a %{class_name}, not a pro

AI-assisted analysis of puppetlabs/puppet@e227c27540 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5abb447bcf936603. Report an issue: GitHub.