fix(generate): show help output when no arguments or config are provided by bmuenzenmeyer · Pull Request #853 · nodejs/doc-kit

bmuenzenmeyer · 2026-06-24T14:01:00Z

Description

When using doc-kit, i tried npx doc-kit generate only to get the reported error. We can do better.

Made with assistance by Claude Code Sonnet - verified manually.

We don't have any test coverage of this file, which I retained that pattern.

Validation

Before

npm run run generate

> @node-core/doc-kit@1.3.10 run
> node bin/cli.mjs generate

[14:02:51.573] ERROR: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'join')
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'join')
    at runGenerators (file:///Users/brian/Documents/doc-kit/src/generators.mjs:99:30)
    at file:///Users/brian/Documents/doc-kit/bin/commands/generate.mjs:65:13
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:103:5)
    at async Command.<anonymous> (file:///Users/brian/Documents/doc-kit/bin/u

After

npm run run generate   

> @node-core/doc-kit@1.3.10 run
> node bin/cli.mjs generate

Usage: @node-core/doc-kit generate [options]

Generate API docs

Options:
  --config-file <path>         Config file
  -i, --input <patterns...>    Input file patterns (glob)
  -t, --target <generator...>  Target generator(s) (choices: "json-simple", "legacy-html", "legacy-html-all", "man-page",
                               "legacy-json", "legacy-json-all", "addon-verify", "api-links", "orama-db", "llms-txt",
                               "sitemap", "web")
  --ignore <patterns...>       Ignore file patterns (glob)
  -o, --output <directory>     The output directory
  -p, --threads <number>       Number of threads to use (minimum: 1)
  --chunk-size <number>        Number of items to process per worker thread (minimum: 1)
  -v, --version <semver>       Target Node.js version
  -c, --changelog <url>        Changelog URL or path
  --git-ref                    Git ref URL
  --index <url>                index.md URL or path
  --minify                     Minify?
  --type-map <url>             Type map URL or path
  -h, --help                   display help for command

Related Issues

closes #852

Check List

I have read the Contributing Guidelines and made commit messages that follow the guideline.
I have run node --run test and all tests passed.
I have check code formatting with node --run format & node --run lint.
I've covered new added functionality with unit tests if necessary.

vercel · 2026-06-24T14:01:06Z

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
api-docs-tooling	Ready	Preview	Jun 24, 2026 7:16pm

cursor · 2026-06-24T14:01:10Z

PR Summary

Low Risk
Small CLI validation and docs change with tests; no generator or config merge behavior is altered once valid options are provided.

Overview
Running doc-kit generate with no --target and no --config-file used to fail deep in runGenerators with a confusing undefined .join error. The generate command now calls assertRunnableOptions up front so that case fails immediately with a clear message directing users to doc-kit generate --help.

The README generate section documents that one of those options is required. Unit tests cover the new guard for missing options, --target, and --config-file.

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 40d5928. Bugbot is set up for automated code reviews on this repo. Configure here.}

codecov · 2026-06-24T14:01:57Z

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 85.36585% with 6 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.
✅ Project coverage is 84.80%. Comparing base (b5cf0a0) to head (40d5928).
⚠️ Report is 1 commits behind head on main.

Files with missing lines	Patch %	Lines
bin/commands/generate.mjs	0.00%	6 Missing ⚠️

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##             main     #853      +/-   ##
==========================================
+ Coverage   84.60%   84.80%   +0.19%     
==========================================
  Files         176      177       +1     
  Lines       15858    16214     +356     
  Branches     1411     1467      +56     
==========================================
+ Hits        13417    13750     +333     
- Misses       2431     2454      +23     
  Partials       10       10

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github-actions · 2026-06-24T14:03:22Z

`web` Generator

File	Base	Head	Diff
`addons.js`	305.26 KB	305.26 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`assert.js`	448.95 KB	448.95 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`async_context.js`	213.43 KB	213.43 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`async_hooks.js`	191.51 KB	191.52 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`buffer.js`	1.08 MB	1.08 MB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`child_process.js`	455.00 KB	455.01 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`cli.js`	314.94 KB	314.95 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`cluster.js`	188.56 KB	188.57 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`console.js`	99.13 KB	99.14 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`crypto.js`	1.22 MB	1.22 MB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`debugger.js`	88.91 KB	88.91 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`deprecations.js`	294.99 KB	295.00 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
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`diagnostics_channel.js`	303.25 KB	303.26 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`dns.js`	261.77 KB	261.77 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`documentation.js`	4.84 KB	4.85 KB	+7.00 B (+0.14%)
`domain.js`	85.64 KB	85.65 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`dtls.js`	82.81 KB	82.82 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`embedding.js`	33.39 KB	33.40 KB	+7.00 B (+0.02%)
`environment_variables.js`	11.70 KB	11.70 KB	+7.00 B (+0.06%)
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`intl.js`	32.41 KB	32.42 KB	+7.00 B (+0.02%)
`module.js`	331.70 KB	331.70 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`modules.js`	146.23 KB	146.24 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`n-api.js`	711.14 KB	711.15 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`net.js`	294.67 KB	294.68 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`os.js`	103.20 KB	103.21 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`packages.js`	145.83 KB	145.84 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`path.js`	91.92 KB	91.92 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`perf_hooks.js`	353.78 KB	353.79 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`permissions.js`	34.79 KB	34.79 KB	+7.00 B (+0.02%)
`process.js`	695.92 KB	695.92 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`punycode.js`	23.41 KB	23.42 KB	+7.00 B (+0.03%)
`querystring.js`	26.14 KB	26.14 KB	+7.00 B (+0.03%)
`quic.js`	442.59 KB	442.59 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`readline.js`	217.31 KB	217.32 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`repl.js`	205.07 KB	205.08 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`report.js`	184.70 KB	184.71 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`single-executable-applications.js`	80.17 KB	80.18 KB	+7.00 B (+0.01%)
`sqlite.js`	254.82 KB	254.82 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`stream.js`	854.40 KB	854.40 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`stream_iter.js`	456.16 KB	456.16 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`string_decoder.js`	26.63 KB	26.63 KB	+7.00 B (+0.03%)
`synopsis.js`	11.39 KB	11.40 KB	+7.00 B (+0.06%)
`test.js`	921.62 KB	921.63 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
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`tls.js`	312.25 KB	312.25 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
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`typescript.js`	21.57 KB	21.57 KB	+7.00 B (+0.03%)
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`util.js`	745.90 KB	745.90 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`v8.js`	345.20 KB	345.21 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`vfs.js`	43.09 KB	43.09 KB	+7.00 B (+0.02%)
`vm.js`	432.13 KB	432.14 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`wasi.js`	37.79 KB	37.79 KB	+7.00 B (+0.02%)
`webcrypto.js`	423.06 KB	423.06 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`webstreams.js`	280.37 KB	280.37 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`worker_threads.js`	394.12 KB	394.13 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)
`zlib.js`	359.52 KB	359.53 KB	+7.00 B (+0.00%)

avivkeller · 2026-06-24T14:55:09Z

+      // Running `generate` with no arguments or config has nothing to do, so
+      // show the help output instead of failing later with an opaque error.
+      if (Object.keys(opts).length === 0) {
+        command.help();
+      }


Shouldn't we just make certain arguments required instead?

i.e., --target OR --config-file MUST be provided.

resolved via 1ef7ca1

… command

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…onfig file presence

avivkeller · 2026-06-24T19:30:17Z

+      assertRunnableOptions(opts);
+
      const config = await setConfig(opts);


swap these statements and call assertRunnableOptions on the config, checking that target and input is passed

fix(generate): show help output when no arguments or config are provided

42a47e6

bmuenzenmeyer requested a review from a team as a code owner June 24, 2026 14:01

avivkeller reviewed Jun 24, 2026

View reviewed changes

fix(generate): enforce target or config file requirement for generate…

1ef7ca1

… command

bmuenzenmeyer requested a review from avivkeller June 24, 2026 18:46

cursor Bot reviewed Jun 24, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/utils/configuration/index.mjs

vercel Bot deployed to Preview June 24, 2026 18:48 View deployment

fix(configuration): add assertRunnableOptions to validate target or c…

40d5928

…onfig file presence

vercel Bot deployed to Preview June 24, 2026 19:16 View deployment

avivkeller reviewed Jun 24, 2026

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		assertRunnableOptions(opts);

		const config = await setConfig(opts);

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