stride3d/stride · error · ArgumentException

This tool requires an input file (package, project, or…

Error message

This tool requires an input file (package, project, or .sdbuild manifest), or a --solution-file and --package-id.

What it means

ValidateOptions throws this ArgumentException when no usable input was provided: neither PackageManifestFile, PackageFile, nor a SolutionFile together with a non-empty PackageId. The builder needs at least one of these to know what to build. The 'inputPackageFile' parameter name points at the missing input option.

Solutions

Pass one explicit input: --package-manifest-file, or --input-package-file, or both --solution-file and --package-id
Verify the variables backing these arguments are non-empty at invocation time
Use a .sdbuild manifest file when multiple assets/packages must be built together
Check the tool's argument parsing/help for the current option names

Example fix

// before
Stride.AssetCompiler --solution-file=MyGame.sln
// after
Stride.AssetCompiler --solution-file=MyGame.sln --package-id=8a4c9f20-1111-2222-3333-444455556666

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

bool hasInput = !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(manifestFile)
    || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(packageFile)
    || (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(solutionFile) && packageId != Guid.Empty);
if (!hasInput) throw new ArgumentException("Provide a package, project, or .sdbuild manifest (or solution-file + package-id)");

Try / catch

try { RunBuilder(options); } catch (ArgumentException ex) when (ex.ParamName == "inputPackageFile" && ex.Message.Contains("requires an input file")) { Console.Error.WriteLine("No build input supplied; see --help"); return 1; }

Prevention

Always pass one explicit input option to the builder
Assert script variables feeding these options are non-empty
Check the tool help after upgrading Stride to catch renamed options

When it happens

Trigger: Running the PackageBuilder tool with none of --package-manifest-file, --input-package-file, or the --solution-file + --package-id pair; e.g. only --solution-file given, or --package-id given with an empty Guid; argument parsing dropped options due to a script bug.

Common situations: Incomplete CI pipeline invocations after option renames between Stride versions; scripts where variables feeding the arguments were empty; users assuming the tool builds a whole solution by default (it does not).

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of stride3d/stride@96fad776d2 (2026-09-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9736c343c807b82c. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at sources/assets/Stride.AssetCompiler/PackageBuilderOptions.cs:103

                BuildDirectory = Path.GetFullPath(BuildDirectory);
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {
                throw new ArgumentException("The provided path is not a valid path name.", "build-path");
            }

            if (SlavePipe == null)
            {
                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(PackageManifestFile))
                {
                    if (!File.Exists(PackageManifestFile))
                        throw new ArgumentException("Build manifest [{0}] doesn't exist".ToFormat(PackageManifestFile), "packageManifestFile");
                }
                else if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(PackageFile))
                {
                    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SolutionFile) || PackageId == Guid.Empty)
                    {
                        throw new ArgumentException("This tool requires an input file (package, project, or .sdbuild manifest), or a --solution-file and --package-id.", "inputPackageFile");
                    }
                }
                else if (!File.Exists(PackageFile))
                {
                    throw new ArgumentException("Package file [{0}] doesn't exist".ToFormat(PackageFile), "inputPackageFile");
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

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