tobi/qmd · error · Error

Line ${line.number} (${type}:) contains a newline. Keep each

Error message

Line ${line.number} (${type}:) contains a newline. Keep each query on a single line.

What it means

Thrown by the CLI query-document parser when the text of a lex:/vec:/hyde: line contains a carriage return or newline. Each typed query must stay on a single physical line; the parser refuses embedded line breaks inside query text.

Source

Thrown at src/cli/qmd.ts:2771

        throw new Error(`Line ${line.number}: only one intent: line is allowed per query document.`);
      }
      const text = line.trimmed.replace(intentRe, '').trim();
      if (!text) {
        throw new Error(`Line ${line.number}: intent: must include text.`);
      }
      intent = text;
      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.`);
      }
      if (/\r|\n/.test(text)) {
        throw new Error(`Line ${line.number} (${type}:) contains a newline. Keep each query on a single line.`);
      }
      typed.push({ type, query: text, line: line.number });
      continue;
    }

    if (rawLines.length === 1) {
      // Single plain line -> implicit expand
      return null;
    }

    throw new Error(`Line ${line.number} is missing a lex:/vec:/hyde:/intent: prefix. Each line in a query document must start with one.`);
  }

  // intent: alone is not a valid query — must have at least one search
  if (intent && typed.length === 0) {
    throw new Error('intent: cannot appear alone. Add at least one lex:, vec:, or hyde: line.');
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to dbfd0b4736)

Solutions

1. Put the continuation on its own prefixed line: 'lex: install\nlex: continue here'
2. Strip \r from CRLF files: dos2unix or sed -i 's/\r$//'
3. For multi-clause queries use intent: plus one typed line per clause

Example fix

# before
lex: how to install
  and configure
# after
lex: how to install
lex: and configure

const bad = doc.split('\n').find(l => /^\s*(lex|vec|hyde):/i.test(l) && /\r|\n/.test(l.replace(/^\s*(lex|vec|hyde):/i, '')));
if (bad || /\r/.test(doc)) throw new Error('newline inside typed query or CRLF endings');

const isSingleLineSafe = (doc: string) => !/\r/.test(doc) && doc.split('\n').every(l => !/^\s*(lex|vec|hyde):/i.test(l) || !/[\r\n]/.test(l));

When it happens

Trigger: Interpolating a multi-line shell variable into a typed line, or a fixture/query file where the text after the prefix spans lines (e.g. 'lex: install\n continue here' without a prefix on the continuation).

Common situations: Pasting multi-line questions into a single prefixed line; scripts embedding $'...' strings with \n; CRLF line endings from Windows editors injecting \r.

Related errors

• Line ${line.number} starts with expand:, but query documents
• expand: query must include text.
• Line ${line.number}: only one intent: line is allowed per qu
• Line ${line.number}: intent: must include text.
• Line ${line.number} (${type}:) must include text.

AI-assisted analysis of tobi/qmd@dbfd0b4736 (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0335a241631e7193. Report an issue: GitHub.