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Incorrect handling of implicit --help option for sub-commands #1368
Description
I am using Spring-Shell 4.0.3.
When defining a command via annotations the (implicit) -help-Option does not include a default-value:
@CommandGroup(name = "samples", prefix = "samples")
@Component
public class SampleCommand {
@Command(
name = "foo",
description = "Description of 'foo'",
help = "Help of 'foo'")
public void foo(
@Argument(index = 0, description = "The desc of value") int value,
@Option String name) {
System.out.println("do it : " + name);
System.out.println("value: " + value);
}
@Command(
name = "bar",
description = "Description of 'bar'",
help = "Help of 'bar'")
public void bar(
@Arguments List<Integer> values,
@Option String name) {
System.out.println("do it : " + name);
System.out.println("values: " + values);
}
}
When running samples bar --help I get an error message:
wdc:>samples bar --help
Error while parsing command: Option '--help' requires a value
When running samples bar --help true the help will be displayed.
Activity
czpilar commentedon Aug 22, 2026
Not related to
CompletionProvider- the trigger is the@CommandGroupprefix.--helpis implicit and never present in a command'sgetOptions(), soisBooleanOption()inDefaultCommandParserreturnsfalsefor it and parsing throws. It only appears to work because of the special case near the top ofparse(), which handles exactly the two-word inputmycmd --help. Withprefix = "samples"the full command name issamples bar, so the input is three words, the shortcut is skipped, and it fails. Same forsamples foo- the parameter types are irrelevant.The same gap also mis-parses
mycommand --help arg1, where--helpsilently swallowsarg1as its value.Fix: have
isBooleanOption()treat--help/-has a boolean flag when no declared option matches that name (the guard keeps commands that use-hfor something else working). I have a patch with tests if it's useful.czpilar commentedon Aug 22, 2026
Fixed in PR #1369
tschoellhorn commentedon Aug 23, 2026
This is great. Thank you for looking into it!
[-]--help not working when using a CompletionProvider[/-][+]Incorrect handling of implicit --help option for sub-commands[/+]fmbenhassine commentedon Sep 21, 2026
This is a valid issue, thank you for reporting it. Planned it for next release.
@czpilar Thank you for the follow up on this and for contributing a fix!