sigoden/aichat · error

Some variable values are not key=value pairs

Error message

Some variable values are not key=value pairs

What it means

The `.agent` REPL command accepts variables as `key=value` pairs; pairs without an '=' separator are dropped by `split_once('=')` via `filter_map`. If any pair is dropped (`variables.len() != variable_pairs.len()`), the command bails with this error instead of silently setting incomplete variables.

Solutions

  1. Ensure every variable argument is formatted as key=value with an '=' separator
  2. Quote variable pairs containing spaces: --var "msg=hello world"
  3. Check the agent invocation syntax with .help before retrying

Example fix

// before: .agent myagent --var API_KEY
.agent myagent --var API_KEY=sk-123
// after (quoting for values with spaces)
.agent myagent --var "msg=hello world"
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

let pairs = ["API_KEY=sk-123", "msg=hello"];
assert!(pairs.iter().all(|p| p.split_once('=').is_some()), "every --var must be key=value");

Type guard

fn parse_var(s: &str) -> Option<(String, String)> {
    s.split_once('=').map(|(k, v)| (k.to_string(), v.to_string()))
}

Try / catch

match run_repl_command(...).await {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("not key=value pairs") => {
        eprintln!("Format variables as key=value, quoting pairs with spaces");
    }
    other => other?,
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Running `.agent <name> --var foo` or `.agent <name> --var foo bar` — any variable argument missing the '=' separator between key and value.

Common situations: Typing `--var API_KEY` instead of `--var API_KEY=xyz`; shell stripping quotes so a value with spaces splits into separate args (e.g. `--var msg=hello world`); forgetting to quote pairs containing spaces.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid ... format", "must be in format X", "does not look like a ..." — invalid argument format errors across CLI tools and libraries — this error's family across 17 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of sigoden/aichat@82976d349a (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/376bcc8b6082a713. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/repl/mod.rs:466

            }
            ".rag" => {
                Config::use_rag(config, args, abort_signal.clone()).await?;
            }
            ".agent" => match split_first_arg(args) {
                Some((agent_name, args)) => {
                    let (new_args, _) = split_args_text(args.unwrap_or_default(), cfg!(windows));
                    let (session_name, variable_pairs) = match new_args.first() {
                        Some(name) if name.contains('=') => (None, new_args.as_slice()),
                        Some(name) => (Some(name.as_str()), &new_args[1..]),
                        None => (None, &[] as &[String]),
                    };
                    let variables: AgentVariables = variable_pairs
                        .iter()
                        .filter_map(|v| v.split_once('='))
                        .map(|(key, value)| (key.to_string(), value.to_string()))
                        .collect();
                    if variables.len() != variable_pairs.len() {
                        bail!("Some variable values are not key=value pairs");
                    }
                    if !variables.is_empty() {
                        config.write().agent_variables = Some(variables);
                    }
                    let ret =
                        Config::use_agent(config, agent_name, session_name, abort_signal.clone())
                            .await;
                    config.write().agent_variables = None;
                    ret?;
                }
                None => {
                    println!(r#"Usage: .agent <agent-name> [session-name] [key=value]..."#)
                }
            },
            ".starter" => match args {
                Some(id) => {
                    let mut text = None;
                    if let Some(agent) = config.read().agent.as_ref() {

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