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Bug
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Resolution: Unresolved
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Normal
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None
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2.12.3
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None
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GNU bash, version 5.2.37(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)
$ picard --help --version
usage: picard [-h] [-a AUDIT] [-c CONFIG_FILE] [-d] [-e COMMAND [COMMAND ...]] [-M] [-N] [-P] [--no-crash-dialog]
[-s] [-v] [-V]
[FILE_OR_URL ...]
positional arguments:
FILE_OR_URL the file(s), URL(s) and MBID(s) to load⋮
{{}}
$ picard -e cluster -e lookup clustered .
I: 23:45:59,894 tagger.main:1546: Sending messages to main instance: ['cluster ', 'lookup clustered', 'lookup .']
qt.qpa.qgnomeplatform.theme: The desktop style for QtQuick Controls 2 applications is not available on the system (qqc2-desktop-style). The application may look broken.
QApplication: invalid style override 'Adwaita-Dark' passed, ignoring it.
Available styles: kvantum-dark, kvantum, Windows, Fusion
Warning: config file 3.0.0.dev2 was created by a more recent version of Picard (current is 2.12.3.final0)
W: 23:46:01,598 pluginmanager.plugin_error:229: Plugin "Add Cluster As Release" from "/home/$USER/.config/MusicBrainz/Picard/plugins/addrelease.py" is not compatible with this version of Picard.
⋮W: 23:46:01,959 ui/playertoolbar.{}init{}:106: Internal player: unavailable, cannot import name 'QtMultimedia' from 'PyQt5' (/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/PyQt5/{}init{}.py)
E: 23:46:02,340 tagger.handle_command_lookup:522: Invalid LOOKUP command argument: '.'
^Z
[1]+ Stopped picard -e cluster -e lookup clustered .
$ bg; picard . -e cluster -e lookup clustered &
[4]+ picard -e cluster -e lookup clustered . &
[5] 2872200
$ I: 00:08:18,429 tagger.main:1546: Sending messages to main instance: ['LOAD /library/music', 'cluster ', 'lookup clustered'][5]+ Exit 195 picard . -e cluster -e lookup clustered
$
When called as picard -e <command> <path> it fails to load the <path>. In the example above it is `.` but I've used the absolute path as well and it fails as well.
When called as picard <path> -e <command>, it loads.
So that leads me to the conclusion that either it isn't parsing those positional arguments the way it was presumably intended based on picard --help OR the --help is wrong and the positional arguments belong before the flags.
[PICARD-3025] positional arguments cli calls are not being parsed the way picard --help indicates.
All the argument passed after the -e parameter go into this parameter. The -e accepts an arbitrary number of arguments, so all arguments after this go into this command, until another flag starting with a dash comes.
You can separate the positional arguments with "--" to make sure they get interpreted not as part of the parameters:
picard -e cluster -e lookup clustered -- some/path
Or use the "load" command:
picard -e load some/path -e cluster -e lookup clustered
As I format the output of --help, I wonder if it's actually saying that those three separate things and the path actually does go in "$1"? If so, it's not immediately obvious to me that is what it is trying to convey.
Oh, and what did I expect? I've been using an 'alias picard.=picard . -e cluster -e lookup clustered` for a while now and it's possible I figured this out a few months ago, but I expect that following the guidance provided by picard --help would load the files the way it does when i put the file name in "$1" counter to --help.
outsidecontext That makes sense in terms of how the shell operates, but in looking at the --help:
So WRT to the disposition of this ticket I would say that we can change the ticket to `--help vague in terms of passing both a -e <command> and <path>`. While it is not super duper common for --help to include specific examples of usage, it's not unknown either. Perhaps adding something like a condensed version of the following would help to avoid confusion.
So at this point, that's up to you to consider and dispose of this ticket as you see fit. Thanks for the explanation.