stablyai/orca · error · Error

--output requires a path

Error message

--output requires a path

What it means

Thrown by readRequiredValue when --output is followed by a null or flag-like token. --output controls the markdown output file path and, when present, must take a value (compare-benchmark-artifacts.mjs:32-34, 64-69).

Source

Thrown at config/scripts/compare-benchmark-artifacts.mjs:67

      }
      continue
    }
    throw new Error(USAGE)
  }

  if (!parsed.baselinePath) {
    throw new Error(USAGE)
  }
  if (!parsed.candidatePath) {
    throw new Error(USAGE)
  }
  return parsed
}

function readRequiredValue(args, index, message) {
  const value = args[index]
  if (value == null || value.startsWith('--')) {
    throw new Error(message)
  }
  return value
}

export function readBenchmarkArtifact(path) {
  return JSON.parse(readFileSync(path, 'utf8'))
}

export function normalizeBenchmarkArtifact(path, artifact = readBenchmarkArtifact(path)) {
  if (artifact?.summaryMedianMs != null) {
    return normalizeNumericObject(path, artifact, 'startup', artifact.summaryMedianMs, () => 'ms')
  }
  if (artifact?.summaryMedian != null) {
    return normalizeNumericObject(path, artifact, 'daemon', artifact.summaryMedian, (key) =>
      key.endsWith('Count') || key.endsWith('After') ? 'count' : 'ms'
    )
  }
  if (artifact?.suites != null) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 1136503c6a)

Solutions

1. Provide a writable file path token after --output, or remove the flag to print markdown to stdout only.
2. Ensure the output directory is writable; the script does mkdirSync(dirname(...), {recursive:true}) but the path itself must be a valid string.

Example fix

// before
runBenchmarkComparisonCli({ argv: ['--baseline','b.json','--candidate','c.json','--output'] })
// after
runBenchmarkComparisonCli({ argv: ['--baseline','b.json','--candidate','c.json','--output','reports/cmp.md'] })

const i = argv.indexOf('--output')
if (i !== -1 && (i + 1 >= argv.length || argv[i + 1].startsWith('--'))) {
  throw new Error('--output needs a path')
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing '--output' last; passing '--output --json-output j.json'; an empty shell variable for the output path.

Common situations: CI step that computes an output dir but the variable is unset on some runners; misordered optional flags; trailing flag after a copy-paste trim.

Related errors

• --baseline requires a path
• --candidate requires a path
• --title requires a value
• --json-output requires a path
• ${arg} requires a path

AI-assisted analysis of stablyai/orca@1136503c6a (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e959eb573bb81638. Report an issue: GitHub.