config: improve diagnostic for "set" with missing value
"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> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Harald Nordgren committed
Jun 2, 2026 at 18:43 UTC
03c29e2e980da7595cbade29e02616d2de2c42f8
2 files changed
+87
-1
builtin/config.c
+31
-1
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
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#define USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE
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#include "builtin.h"
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#include "abspath.h"
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+#include "advice.h"
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#include "config.h"
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#include "color.h"
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#include "date.h"
@@ -210,6 +211,26 @@ static void check_argc(int argc, int min, int max)
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exit(129);
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}
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+static NORETURN void die_missing_set_value(const char *arg)
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+{
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+ const char *last_dot = strrchr(arg, '.');
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+ const char *eq = last_dot ? strchr(last_dot + 1, '=') : NULL;
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+ char *prefix = eq ? xstrndup(arg, eq - arg) : NULL;
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+
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+ if (prefix && git_config_key_is_valid(prefix)) {
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+ error(_("missing value to set to the variable '%s'"), arg);
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+ advise(_("did you mean \"git config set %s %s\"?"),
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+ prefix, eq + 1);
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+ } else if (git_config_key_is_valid(arg)) {
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+ error(_("missing value to set to the variable '%s'"), arg);
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+ } else {
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+ error(_("missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name '%s'"),
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+ arg);
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+ }
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+ free(prefix);
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+ exit(129);
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+}
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+
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static void show_config_origin(const struct config_display_options *opts,
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const struct key_value_info *kvi,
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struct strbuf *buf)
@@ -1133,6 +1154,8 @@ static int cmd_config_set(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
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argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, opts, builtin_config_set_usage,
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PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
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+ if (argc == 1)
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+ die_missing_set_value(argv[0]);
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check_argc(argc, 2, 2);
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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)
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};
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char *value = NULL, *comment = NULL;
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int ret = 0;
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+ int actions_implicit;
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struct key_value_info default_kvi = KVI_INIT;
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argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, opts,
@@ -1385,7 +1409,8 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
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exit(129);
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}
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- if (actions == 0)
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+ actions_implicit = (actions == 0);
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+ if (actions_implicit)
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switch (argc) {
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case 1: actions = ACTION_GET; break;
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case 2: actions = ACTION_SET; break;
@@ -1394,6 +1419,11 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
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error(_("no action specified"));
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exit(129);
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}
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+ if (actions_implicit && argc == 1) {
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+ const char *last_dot = strrchr(argv[0], '.');
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+ if (last_dot && strchr(last_dot + 1, '='))
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+ die_missing_set_value(argv[0]);
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+ }
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if (display_opts.omit_values &&
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!(actions == ACTION_LIST || actions == ACTION_GET_REGEXP)) {
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error(_("--name-only is only applicable to --list or --get-regexp"));
t/t1300-config.sh
+56
@@ -462,6 +462,62 @@ test_expect_success 'invalid key' '
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test_must_fail git config inval.2key blabla
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'
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": valid key suggests split form' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase=false 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase=false." err &&
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+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set pull\\.rebase false." err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": implicit form suggests split form' '
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+ test_must_fail git config pull.rebase=false 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase=false." err &&
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+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set pull\\.rebase false." err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of "key=value": invalid key does not suggest split form' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set foo=bar 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo=bar." err &&
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+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: variable name starting with digit is invalid' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set foo.1bar=baz 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo\\.1bar=baz." err &&
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+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: digit-led section name is valid' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set 1foo.bar=baz 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .1foo\\.bar=baz." err &&
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+ test_grep "did you mean .git config set 1foo\\.bar baz." err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg: subsection plus invalid variable name' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set foo.some.b_r=baz 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to a variable with an invalid name .foo\\.some\\.b_r=baz." err &&
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+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 1 arg of valid key reports missing value' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "missing value to set to the variable .pull\\.rebase." err &&
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+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success 'set with 2 args including "=" in invalid key does not suggest' '
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+ test_must_fail git config set pull.rebase=false true 2>err &&
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+ test_grep "invalid key: pull\\.rebase=false" err &&
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+ test_grep ! "did you mean" err
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success '"=" inside subsection is valid' '
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+ test_when_finished "rm -f subsection.cfg" &&
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+ git config set -f subsection.cfg foo.bar=baz.boo qux &&
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+ echo qux >expect &&
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+ git config get -f subsection.cfg foo.bar=baz.boo >actual &&
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+ test_cmp expect actual
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+'
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+
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test_expect_success 'correct key' '
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git config 123456.a123 987
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'