From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com>,
Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>,
Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v6 2/2] config: improve diagnostic for "set" with missing value
Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:43:28 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <a7f8a084c7c2858638b8cdd145cb21ffcdfd9c57.1780425808.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.2302.v6.git.git.1780425808.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
"git config set pull.rebase=false" currently fails with "wrong
number of arguments", and the implicit form "git config
pull.rebase=false" fails with "invalid key". Neither points at
the real problem: the value is missing.
Report that directly, and when the argument has the shape
"<valid-key>=<value>", also suggest the split form:
$ git config set pull.rebase=false
error: missing value to set to the variable 'pull.rebase=false'
hint: did you mean "git config set pull.rebase false"?
When the prefix before "=" is not a valid key, drop the hint:
$ git config set foo=bar
error: missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name 'foo=bar'
Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
---
builtin/config.c | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
t/t1300-config.sh | 56 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 87 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index cf4ba0f7cc..8d8ec0beea 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
#define USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE
#include "builtin.h"
#include "abspath.h"
+#include "advice.h"
#include "config.h"
#include "color.h"
#include "date.h"
@@ -210,6 +211,26 @@ static void check_argc(int argc, int min, int max)
exit(129);
}
+static NORETURN void die_missing_set_value(const char *arg)
+{
+ const char *last_dot = strrchr(arg, '.');
+ const char *eq = last_dot ? strchr(last_dot + 1, '=') : NULL;
+ char *prefix = eq ? xstrndup(arg, eq - arg) : NULL;
+
+ if (prefix && git_config_key_is_valid(prefix)) {
+ error(_("missing value to set to the variable '%s'"), arg);
+ advise(_("did you mean \"git config set %s %s\"?"),
+ prefix, eq + 1);
+ } else if (git_config_key_is_valid(arg)) {
+ error(_("missing value to set to the variable '%s'"), arg);
+ } else {
+ error(_("missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name '%s'"),
+ arg);
+ }
+ free(prefix);
+ exit(129);
+}
+
static void show_config_origin(const struct config_display_options *opts,
const struct key_value_info *kvi,
struct strbuf *buf)
@@ -1133,6 +1154,8 @@ static int cmd_config_set(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, opts, builtin_config_set_usage,
PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
+ if (argc == 1)
+ die_missing_set_value(argv[0]);
check_argc(argc, 2, 2);
if ((flags & CONFIG_FLAGS_FIXED_VALUE) && !value_pattern)
@@ -1371,6 +1394,7 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
};
char *value = NULL, *comment = NULL;
int ret = 0;
+ int actions_implicit;
struct key_value_info default_kvi = KVI_INIT;
argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, opts,
@@ -1385,7 +1409,8 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
exit(129);
}
- if (actions == 0)
+ actions_implicit = (actions == 0);
+ if (actions_implicit)
switch (argc) {
case 1: actions = ACTION_GET; break;
case 2: actions = ACTION_SET; break;
@@ -1394,6 +1419,11 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
error(_("no action specified"));
exit(129);
}
+ if (actions_implicit && argc == 1) {
+ const char *last_dot = strrchr(argv[0], '.');
+ if (last_dot && strchr(last_dot + 1, '='))
+ die_missing_set_value(argv[0]);
+ }
if (display_opts.omit_values &&
!(actions == ACTION_LIST || actions == ACTION_GET_REGEXP)) {
error(_("--name-only is only applicable to --list or --get-regexp"));
diff --git a/t/t1300-config.sh b/t/t1300-config.sh
index 11fc976f3a..87ca11a127 100755
--- a/t/t1300-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-config.sh
@@ -469,6 +469,62 @@ test_expect_success 'invalid key' '
test_must_fail git config inval.2key blabla
'
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": valid key suggests split form' '
+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase=false 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase=false." err &&
+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set pull\\.rebase false." err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": implicit form suggests split form' '
+ test_must_fail git config pull.rebase=false 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase=false." err &&
+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set pull\\.rebase false." err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": invalid key does not suggest split form' '
+ test_must_fail git config set foo=bar 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo=bar." err &&
+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: variable name starting with digit is invalid' '
+ test_must_fail git config set foo.1bar=baz 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo\\.1bar=baz." err &&
+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: digit-led section name is valid' '
+ test_must_fail git config set 1foo.bar=baz 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .1foo\\.bar=baz." err &&
+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set 1foo\\.bar baz." err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: subsection plus invalid variable name' '
+ test_must_fail git config set foo.some.b_r=baz 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo\\.some\\.b_r=baz." err &&
+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of valid key reports missing value' '
+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase 2>err &&
+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase." err &&
+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set with 2 args including "=" in invalid key does not suggest' '
+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase=false true 2>err &&
+ test_grep "invalid key: pull\\.rebase=false" err &&
+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"=" inside subsection is valid' '
+ test_when_finished "rm -f subsection.cfg" &&
+ git config set -f subsection.cfg foo.bar=baz.boo qux &&
+ echo qux >expect &&
+ git config get -f subsection.cfg foo.bar=baz.boo >actual &&
+ test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
test_expect_success 'correct key' '
git config 123456.a123 987
'
--
gitgitgadget
prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-06-02 18:43 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 24+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-05-13 13:58 [PATCH] config: suggest the correct form when key contains "=" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-05-14 21:26 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-05-14 22:16 ` [PATCH] fetch: add fetch.pruneLocalBranches config Harald Nordgren
2026-05-15 1:28 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-05-15 7:56 ` Email issues Harald Nordgren
2026-05-15 12:02 ` Kristoffer Haugsbakk
2026-05-15 9:39 ` [PATCH] fetch: add fetch.pruneLocalBranches config Harald Nordgren
2026-05-16 12:51 ` [PATCH] config: suggest the correct form when key contains "=" Harald Nordgren
2026-05-16 12:52 ` [PATCH v2] config: suggest the correct form when key contains "=" in set context Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-05-25 8:33 ` [PATCH v3] " Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-05-25 9:15 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-05-26 19:21 ` [PATCH v4] config: improve diagnostic for "set" with missing value Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-05-26 19:24 ` Harald Nordgren
2026-06-01 23:45 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-06-01 23:53 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-06-02 13:39 ` [PATCH v5 0/2] config: suggest the correct form when key contains "=" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-02 13:39 ` [PATCH v5 1/2] config: let git_config_parse_key() validate quietly Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-02 14:08 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-06-02 16:31 ` Harald Nordgren
2026-06-02 13:39 ` [PATCH v5 2/2] config: improve diagnostic for "set" with missing value Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-02 14:18 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-06-02 18:43 ` [PATCH v6 0/2] config: suggest the correct form when key contains "=" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-02 18:43 ` [PATCH v6 1/2] config: add git_config_key_is_valid() for quiet validation Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-02 18:43 ` Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget [this message]
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