stanfordnlp/CoreNLP · error · IllegalArgumentException

Use only one of -sentences or -useLabelKeys

Error message

Use only one of -sentences or -useLabelKeys

What it means

The two input modes are mutually exclusive: -sentences parses fresh sentences while -useLabelKeys reads labels directly from existing trees. If both are supplied, main throws IllegalArgumentException("Use only one of -sentences or -useLabelKeys") to prevent ambiguous behavior.

Solutions

1. Remove -sentences or -useLabelKeys so only one input mode is specified
2. If label keys are wanted, drop the sentences file argument; if parsing sentences, drop -useLabelKeys
3. Audit wrapper scripts for statically included flags

Example fix

// before
// java ParseAndSetLabels -sentences in.txt -useLabelKeys -output o.txt ...
// after
// java ParseAndSetLabels -useLabelKeys -output o.txt ...

java.util.List<String> a = java.util.Arrays.asList(args);
if (a.contains("-sentences") && a.contains("-useLabelKeys")) throw new IllegalArgumentException("only one of -sentences / -useLabelKeys allowed");

try {
  ParseAndSetLabels.main(args);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
  if (e.getMessage().contains("Use only one of")) System.err.println("Remove either -sentences or -useLabelKeys");
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running main with both -sentences <file> and -useLabelKeys set (e.g. left over from a previous command template plus a newly added -sentences flag).

Common situations: Accumulated flags in shell scripts from copy-pasting examples; wrappers that always pass -useLabelKeys; switching input modes without removing the old flag.

Related errors

• args: treebankPath trainNums testNums
• Cannot find or open + sentFileName
• Error: No dest file provided in properties or via command…
• Error: No training file provided in properties or via…
• Error: No training file provided in properties or via…

AI-assisted analysis of stanfordnlp/CoreNLP@1b7edd19c4 (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f216f06bcabc714b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/edu/stanford/nlp/parser/tools/ParseAndSetLabels.java:246

      } else if (args[argIndex].equalsIgnoreCase("-useLabelKeys")) {
        useLabelKeys = true;
        argIndex += 1;
      } else if (args[argIndex].equalsIgnoreCase("-nouseLabelKeys")) {
        useLabelKeys = false;
        argIndex += 1;
      } else {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown argument " + args[argIndex]);
      }
    }

    if (outputFile == null) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("-output is required");
    }
    if (sentencesFile == null && !useLabelKeys) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("-sentences or -useLabelKeys is required");
    }
    if (sentencesFile != null && useLabelKeys) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Use only one of -sentences or -useLabelKeys");
    }
    if (labelsFile == null) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("-labels is required");
    }

    ParserGrammar parser = loadParser(parserFile, taggerFile);

    TreeBinarizer binarizer = null;
    if (binarize) {
      binarizer = TreeBinarizer.simpleTreeBinarizer(parser.getTLPParams().headFinder(), parser.treebankLanguagePack());
    }

    Map<String, String> labelMap = readLabelMap(labelsFile, separator, remapLabels);

    List<String> sentences;
    if (sentencesFile != null) {
      sentences = readSentences(sentencesFile);
    } else {

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