siyuan-note/siyuan · error

--av, --name and --type are required

Error message

--av, --name and --type are required

What it means

The `database add-key` subcommand requires three flags together: `--av` (target database), `--name` (key name), and `--type` (key type). When any of the three is empty, RunE returns this combined error before creating anything. It enforces the minimal contract for defining a new database field.

Solutions

1. Pass all three flags: `--av <avID> --name <keyName> --type <keyType>`
2. Use a supported key type value (e.g. text, number, date, select, relation)
3. Add `--icon`/`--prev` optionally for icon and position
4. Validate with `--dry-run` first

Example fix

// before
siyuan database add-key --av 20240101120000-avxyz --name "Priority"
// after
siyuan database add-key --av 20240101120000-avxyz --name "Priority" --type select

if [ -z "$AV_ID" ] || [ -z "$KEY_NAME" ] || [ -z "$KEY_TYPE" ]; then
  echo "--av, --name and --type are required"; exit 1
fi
siyuan database add-key --av "$AV_ID" --name "$KEY_NAME" --type "$KEY_TYPE"

When it happens

Trigger: Running `siyuan database add-key` missing any of `--av`, `--name`, or `--type`, e.g. providing only the database ID.

Common situations: Forgetting `--type` (text, number, select, relation, etc.) because the name alone seems sufficient; scripts with an empty name variable; omitting `--av` in loops over multiple databases.

Understand the failure class

Background: "--flag is required" and "must specify" CLI errors: how missing-required-flag validation works and how to fix it — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• --av and --ids are required
• --av and --key are required
• --av is required
• --av, --key, --item and --value are required
• --block is required for non-detached rows

AI-assisted analysis of siyuan-note/siyuan@9f775e8a12 (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ecc337a8727d8c6f. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at kernel/cli/cmd/database.go:148

	},
}

var databaseKeyCmd = &cobra.Command{
	Use:   "key",
	Short: "Manage database keys (fields)",
}

var databaseKeyAddCmd = &cobra.Command{
	Use:   "add --av <avID> --name <name> --type <type>",
	Short: "Add a key (field) to database",
	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
		avID, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("av")
		name, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("name")
		keyType, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("type")
		icon, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("icon")
		prev, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("prev")
		if avID == "" || name == "" || keyType == "" {
			return fmt.Errorf("--av, --name and --type are required")
		}

		if dryRun {
			fmt.Printf("[dry-run] Would add key \"%s\" (type=%s) to database %s\n", name, keyType, avID)
			return nil
		}

		keyID := ast.NewNodeID()
		if err := model.AddAttributeViewKey(avID, "", keyID, name, keyType, icon, prev, av.DateDisplayFormatFull); err != nil {
			return err
		}
		model.AppendPushReloadAttrViewEntry(avID)
		fmt.Println(keyID)
		return nil
	},
}

var databaseKeyRemoveCmd = &cobra.Command{

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