tobi/qmd · error · Error

Line ${line.number} is missing a lex:/vec:/hyde:/intent: pre

Error message

Line ${line.number} is missing a lex:/vec:/hyde:/intent: prefix.

What it means

Thrown when a line in a multi-line bench fixture query lacks any recognized prefix (lex:, vec:, hyde:, intent:). Single-line documents fall through and return undefined (treated as a plain query), but once there are multiple lines every line must be prefixed.

Source

Thrown at src/bench/bench.ts:86

      continue;
    }

    const match = line.trimmed.match(prefixRe);
    if (match) {
      const type = match[1]!.toLowerCase() as "lex" | "vec" | "hyde";
      const text = line.trimmed.slice(match[0].length).trim();
      if (!text) {
        throw new Error(`Line ${line.number} (${type}:) must include text.`);
      }
      searches.push({ type, query: text, line: line.number });
      continue;
    }

    if (lines.length === 1) {
      return undefined;
    }

    throw new Error(`Line ${line.number} is missing a lex:/vec:/hyde:/intent: prefix.`);
  }

  if (intent && searches.length === 0) {
    throw new Error("intent: cannot appear alone. Add at least one lex:, vec:, or hyde: line.");
  }

  return searches.length > 0 ? { searches, intent } : undefined;
}

function uniqueFiles(files: string[], limit: number): string[] {
  const seen = new Set<string>();
  const out: string[] = [];
  for (const file of files) {
    if (seen.has(file)) continue;
    seen.add(file);
    out.push(file);
    if (out.length >= limit) break;
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to dbfd0b4736)

Solutions

1. Prefix the offending line with lex:, vec:, or hyde:
2. Or remove the prose line so the query is a single unprefixed line

Example fix

// before
"lex: install\nhow do I configure it"
// after
"lex: install\nlex: how do I configure it"

const lines = doc.split('\n').filter(l => l.trim());
if (lines.length > 1) {
  for (const l of lines) if (!/^\s*(lex|vec|hyde|intent):/i.test(l)) throw new Error(`unprefixed line: ${l}`);
}

const allLinesPrefixed = (doc: string) => doc.split('\n').every(l => !l.trim() || l.length === 1 || /^\s*(lex|vec|hyde|intent):/i.test(l) || doc.split('\n').filter(x=>x.trim()).length === 1);

When it happens

Trigger: A fixture query like 'lex: install\nhow do I configure it' — the second line has no prefix and the document has more than one line.

Common situations: Appending a follow-up sentence to a typed query; forgetting to prefix an added search line; mixing prose and structured lines.

Related errors

• Line ${line.number}: only one intent: line is allowed per be
• Line ${line.number}: intent: must include text.
• Line ${line.number} (${type}:) must include text.
• intent: cannot appear alone. Add at least one lex:, vec:, or
• Invalid fixture: missing 'queries' array

AI-assisted analysis of tobi/qmd@dbfd0b4736 (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8e120f2d5e2da726. Report an issue: GitHub.