UX: confusing error "invalid option" when options in wrong order

[andreasabel]

The error message Invalid option is confusing if the option is valid but in unexpected order.

Try 1:

$ haskell-ci github --jobs-selection any cabal.project
Invalid option `--jobs-selection'

Usage: haskell-ci github CABAL.FILE
  Generate GitHub Actions config

Try 2:

$ haskell-ci github --jobs-selection=any cabal.project
Invalid option `--jobs-selection=any'

Usage: haskell-ci github CABAL.FILE
  Generate GitHub Actions config

These work:

$ haskell-ci --jobs-selection=any github cabal.project
$ haskell-ci --jobs-selection any github cabal.project

$ haskell-ci github cabal.project --jobs-selection=any 
$ haskell-ci github cabal.project --jobs-selection any 

The command line syntax is declared as

Usage: haskell-ci (COMMAND | CABAL.FILE) [(-o|--output FILE) | --stdout] 
                  [--config CONFIGFILE] [--cwd Dir] [----package | ----project] 
                  [--cabal-install-version VERSION | --jobs JOBS | 
                    --distribution DIST | --jobs-selection uniform|any | 
...                   
                    --raw-travis ARG] [-V|--version]

but this syntax is apparently not followed by the command line parser; at least if the bar is to be read as usual as "alternative".
Maybe switch to https://github.com/pcapriotti/optparse-applicative ? This framework automatically generates a correct description of the command line syntax.

[phadej]

Maybe switch to https://github.com/pcapriotti/optparse-applicative ?

We are using optparse-applicative.

[phadej]

I think this will be fixed by #446, if it's not, then I don't know how to fix it.

[andreasabel]

Isn't fixed, at least not by commit 93fa5dc

Author: Oleg Grenrus 
Date:   Tue Dec 22 12:28:38 2020 +0200

    Use subparserInline

[phadej]

haskell-ci master % git log -2                                                       
commit a6523e6ecf6e1e9d5eb255be87004422aba84c05 (HEAD -> master, origin/master, origin/HEAD)
Author: Oleg Grenrus <oleg.grenrus@iki.fi>
Date:   Tue Dec 22 13:50:14 2020 +0200

    Add -Wincomplete-uni-patterns

commit 43dac87aba4cadd2f1e1d688285df171c341f472
Merge: f844879 93fa5dc
Author: Oleg Grenrus <oleg.grenrus@iki.fi>
Date:   Tue Dec 22 12:37:19 2020 +0200

    Merge pull request #446 from haskell-CI/issue-445
    
    Use subparserInline

haskell-ci master % cabal run -- haskell-ci github --jobs-selection any cabal.project
Up to date
*INFO* Generating GitHub config for testing for GHC versions: 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3
*INFO* haskell-ci : 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3
*INFO* cabal-install-parsers : 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3

haskell-ci master % cabal run -- haskell-ci github --jobs-selection uniform cabal.project
Up to date
*INFO* Generating GitHub config for testing for GHC versions: 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3

[phadej]

I bumped the package version. cabal install sometimes does weird things, and reuses old internal library https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+internal+author%3Aphadej

I'm not sure if you hit it. (It's very hard to note).

[andreasabel]

I bumped the package version. cabal install sometimes does weird things, and reuses old internal library https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+internal+author%3Aphadej

Likely, you meant haskell/cabal#6211.

I'm not sure if you hit it. (It's very hard to note).

This could have been the problem. It works now:

$ haskell-ci --version
0.11.20210101

$ haskell-ci github --jobs-selection any cabal.project
*INFO* Generating GitHub config for testing for GHC versions: 7.10.3 8.0.2 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3
*INFO* BNFC : 7.10.3 8.0.2 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3
*INFO* bnfc-system-tests : 8.2.2 8.4.4 8.6.5 8.8.4 8.10.3

Thanks!