actively calling showHelp shows different output then help on fail does

[foxriver76]

In our code we use commands and "subcommands", calling our tool via iobroker object will result in our code processing the command and then calling yargs.showHelp(), the generated output looks like:

iob object
Unknown command "object undefined"!
iobroker object

Object management

Commands:
  iobroker get <id>                                     Get object specified by id
...
...
...

I would expect, that it shows iobroker object get <id> and not iobroker get <id> as it is done when I call iobroker object --help:

moritz@moritz-ThinkPad-E470:~/workspaces/ioBroker.js-controller$ iob object --help
iobroker object

Object management

Commands:
  iobroker object get <id>                                     Get object specified by id
...
...
...

Why is there a difference, is this intended? If yes, how can I achieve the desired output via showHelp()?

You can find the relevant code here: https://github.com/ioBroker/ioBroker.js-controller/blob/12a235299be58d7bb4592d71d61478afe9f1797b/lib/setup.js#L34-L370

Reopen of #1853

[bcoe]

@foxriver76 could you please try the next release of yargs@17 (17.0.0-candidate.13), I can reproduce your bug on yargs@16, but not the latest release of v17:

bencoe-macbookpro3:test-install bencoe$ node example.js object
appname object

Object management

Commands:
  appname object get <id>                                     Get object specified by id
  appname object set <id> <json-value>                        Set object with the given id by providing a new json object
  appname object set <id> propertyname=<value or json-value>  Update part of the object by providing a new value or partial object
  appname object extend <id> <json-value>                     Extend object with the given id by providing a new json object
  appname object del <id|pattern>                             Delete object with given id or all objects matching the pattern
  appname object chmod <object-mode> [state-mode] <id>        Change object rights
  appname object chown <user> <group> <id>                    Change object ownership
  appname object list <pattern>                               List object matching given pattern

with code:

const yargs = require('./')
  .scriptName('appname')
  .locale('en')// otherwise it could be mixed, because our implementations are in english
  .version(false) // disable yargs own version handling, because we have our own depending on passed instances
  .completion('_createCompletion', false) // can be created via iob _createCompletion >> ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile for OSX
  .command('setup', 'Setup ioBroker', {
      redis: {
          describe: 'Setup as redis',
          type: 'boolean'
      },
      objects: {
          describe: 'Objects <host>',
          default: '127.0.0.1',
          type: 'number'
      },
      states: {
          describe: 'States <host>',
          default: '127.0.0.1',
          type: 'number'
      },
      'port <port>': {
          describe: 'Port of redis',
          default: 6379,
          type: 'number'
      },
      custom: {
          describe: 'Custom setup',
          type: 'boolean'
      },
      first: {
          describe: 'Initial setup',
          type: 'boolean'
      }
  })
  .command('start', 'Starts the js-controller', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('all', 'Starts js-controller and all adapters')
          .command('<adapter>[.<instance>]', 'Starts a specified adapter instance');
  })
  .command('stop', 'stops the js-controller', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('<adapter>[.<instance>]', 'Stops a specified adapter instance');
  })
  .command('restart', 'Restarts js-controller', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('<adapter>[.<instance>]', 'Restarts a specified adapter instance', {});
  })
  .command('debug <adapter>[.<instance>]', 'Starts a Node.js debugging session for the adapter instance', {
      ip: {
          describe: 'IP-address <ip>',
          type: 'string'
      },
      port: {
          describe: 'Port <port>',
          type: 'number'
      },
      wait: {
          describe: 'Wait',
          type: 'boolean'
      }
  })
  .command('info', 'Shows the host info', {})
  .command('logs [<adapter>]', 'Monitor log', {
      'lines=1000': { // TODO: it's the only place we use = we should avoid this
          describe: 'Number of lines',
          type: 'string'
      },
      watch: {
          describe: 'Watch',
          type: 'boolean'
      }
  })
  .command('add <adapter> [desiredNumber]', 'Add instance of adapter', {
      enabled: {
          describe: 'Enable adapter',
          type: 'boolean'
      },
      host: {
          describe: 'Host <host>',
          type: 'string'
      },
      port: {
          describe: 'Port <port>',
          type: 'number'
      }
  })
  .command('install <adapter>', 'Installs a specified adapter', {})
  .command('rebuild <adapter>|self', 'Rebuilds a specified adapter', {
      install: {
          describe: 'Install',
          type: 'boolean'
      }
  })
  .command('url <url> [<name>]', 'Install adapter from specified url, e.g. GitHub', {})
  .command('del <adapter>', 'Remove adapter from system', {})
  .command('del <adapter>.<instance>', 'Remove adapter instance', {})
  .command('update [<repositoryUrl>]', 'Update repository and list adapters', {
      updateable: {
          describe: 'Only show updateable adapters',
          alias: 'u',
          type: 'boolean'
      },
      installed: {
          describe: 'Only show installed adapters',
          alias: 'i',
          type: 'boolean'
      },
      force: {
          describe: 'Bypass hash check',
          alias: 'f',
          type: 'boolean'
      }
  })
  .command('upgrade', 'Upgrade management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('[<repositoryUrl>]', 'Upgrade all adapters, optionally you can specify the repository url', {
              yes: {
                  describe: 'Bypass questionnaire',
                  alias: 'y',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('self [<repositoryUrl>]', 'Upgrade js-controller, optionally you can specify the repository url', {
              force: {
                  describe: 'Allow downgrades',
                  alias: 'f',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('all [<repositoryUrl>]', 'Upgrade all adapters, optionally you can specify the repository url', {
              force: {
                  describe: 'Allow downgrades',
                  alias: 'f',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('<adapter> [<repositoryUrl>]', 'Upgrade specified adapter, optionally you can specify the repository url', {
              y: {
                  describe: 'Bypass questionnaire',
                  alias: 'y',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          });
  })
  .command('upload', 'Upload management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command(`<pathToLocalFile> <pathIn${tools.appName}>`, 'Upload given files to provided path to make them available for instances', {})
          .command('all', 'Upload all adapter files to make them available for instances', {})
          .command('<adapter>', 'Upload specified adapter files to make them available for instances', {});
  })
  .command('object', 'Object management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('get <id>', 'Get object specified by id', {})
          .command('set <id> <json-value>', 'Set object with the given id by providing a new json object', {})
          .command('set <id> propertyname=<value or json-value>', 'Update part of the object by providing a new value or partial object', {})
          .command('extend <id> <json-value>', 'Extend object with the given id by providing a new json object', {})
          .command('del <id|pattern>', 'Delete object with given id or all objects matching the pattern', {
              y: {
                  describe: 'Bypass questionnaire',
                  alias: 'y',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('chmod <object-mode> [state-mode] <id>', 'Change object rights', {})
          .command('chown <user> <group> <id>', 'Change object ownership', {})
          .command('list <pattern>', 'List object matching given pattern', {});
  })
  .command('state', 'State management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('get <id>', 'Get state, specified by id', {})
          .command('getplain <id>', 'Get plain state, specified by id', {
              pretty: {
                  describe: 'Prettify output',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('getvalue <id>', 'Get state value, specified by id', {})
          .command('set <id> <value> [<ack>]', 'Set state, specified by id', {})
          .command('del <id>', 'Delete state, specified by id', {});
  })
  .command('message <adapter>[.instance] <command> [<message>]', 'Send message to adapter instance/s', {})
  .command('list <type> [<filter>]', 'List all entries, like objects', {})
  .command('chmod <mode> <file>', 'Change file rights', {})
  .command('chown <user> <group> <file>', 'Change file ownership', {})
  .command('touch <file>', 'Touch file', {})
  .command('rm <file>', 'Remove file', {})
  .command('file', 'File management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command(`read <${tools.appName}-path-to-read> [<filesystem-path-to-write>]`, `Read file from ${tools.appName} path and optionally write to destination`, {})
          .command(`write <filesystem-path-to-read> <${tools.appName}-path-to-write>`, `Read file from path and write it to ${tools.appName} path`,{})
          .command(`rm <${tools.appName}-path-to-delete>`, 'Remove file', {})
          .command('sync', 'Sync files', {});
  })
  .command('user', 'User commands', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('add <user>', 'Add new user',yargs => {
              yargs.option('ingroup', {
                  describe: 'User group',
                  type: 'string'
              })
                  .option('password', {
                      describe: 'User password',
                      type: 'string'
                  });
          })
          .command('del <user>', 'Delete user', {})
          .command('passwd <user>', 'Change user password', yargs => {
              yargs
                  .option('password', {
                      describe: 'User password',
                      type: 'string'
                  });
          })
          .command('enable <user>', 'Enable user', {})
          .command('disable <user>', 'Disable user', {})
          .command('get <user>', 'Get user', {})
          .command('check <user>', 'Check user password', yargs => {
              yargs
                  .option('password', {
                      describe: 'User password',
                      type: 'string'
                  });
          });
  })
  .command('group', 'group management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('add <group>', 'Add group', {})
          .command('del <group>', 'Remove group', {})
          .command('list <group>', 'List group', {})
          .command('enable <group>', 'Enable group', {})
          .command('disable <group>', 'Disable group', {})
          .command('get <group>', 'Get group', {})
          .command('adduser <group> <user>', 'Add user to group', {})
          .command('deluser <group> <user>', 'Remove user from group', {});
  })
  .command('host <hostname>', 'Set host to given hostname', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('this', 'Initialize current host', {})
          .command('set <hostname>', 'Set host with specified hostname', {})
          .command('remove <hostname>', 'Remove host with specified hostname', {});
  })
  .command('set <adapter>.<instance>', 'Change settings of adapter config', {
      customOption: {
          describe: 'Set the name of the parameter you want to change as option followed by its value, e. g. --port 80'
      }
  })
  .command('license <license.file or license.text>', 'Update license by given file', {})
  .command('cert', 'Certificate management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('create', 'Create certificate', {})
          .command('view [<certificate name>]', 'Show certificate', {});
  })
  .command('clean <yes>', 'Clears all objects and states', {})
  .command('backup', 'Create backup', {})
  .command('restore <backup name or path>', 'Restore a specified backup', {})
  .command('validate <backup name or path>', 'Validate a specified backup', {})
  .command('status [all|<adapter>.<instance>]', 'Status of ioBroker or adapter instance', {})
  .command('repo [<name>]', 'Show repo information', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('set <name>', 'Set active repository')
          .command('repo del <name>', 'Remove repository');
  })
  .command('uuid', 'Show uuid of the installation', {})
  .command('unsetup', 'Reset license, installation secret and language', {})
  .command('fix', 'Execute the installation fixer script, this updates your ioBroker installation', {})
  .command('multihost', 'Multihost management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('enable', 'Enable multihost discovery', {
              secure: {
                  describe: 'Use secure connection',
                  type: 'boolean'
              },
              persist: {
                  describe: 'Enable persistent discovery',
                  type: 'boolean'
              }
          })
          .command('disable', 'Disable multihost discovery')
          .command('browse', 'Browse for multihost server')
          .command('connect', 'Connect to multihost server');
  })
  .command('compact', 'compact group management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('enable', 'Enable compact mode in general')
          .command('on', 'Enable compact mode in general')
          .command('disable', 'Disable compact mode in general')
          .command('off', 'Disable compact mode in general')
          .command('<adapter>.<instance> status', 'Show if compact mode is enabled for a specific instance')
          .command('<adapter>.<instance> group <group-id>', 'Define compact group of a specific adapter')
          .command('<adapter>.<instance> <disable|off>', 'Enable or disable compact mode for specified adapter instance')
          .command('compact <adapter>.<instance> <enable|on> [group-id]', 'Enable or disable compact mode for specified adapter instance and set compact group optionally');
  })
  .command('plugin', 'Plugin management', yargs => {
      yargs
          .command('enable <pluginname>', 'Enables a plugin for the specified host or instance. If no host is specified, the current one is used', {
              host: {
                  describe: 'Hostname',
                  type: 'string'
              },
              instance: {
                  describe: 'Instance, e.g. hm-rpc.0',
                  type: 'string'
              }
          })
          .command('disable <pluginname>', 'Disables a plugin for the specified host or instance. If no host is specified, the current one is used', {
              host: {
                  describe: 'Hostname',
                  type: 'string'
              },
              instance: {
                  describe: 'Instance, e.g. hm-rpc.0',
                  type: 'string'
              }
          })
          .command('status <pluginname>', 'Checks if a plugin is enabled for the specified host or instance. If no host is specified, the current one is used', {
              host: {
                  describe: 'Hostname',
                  type: 'string'
              },
              instance: {
                  describe: 'Instance, e.g. hm-rpc.0',
                  type: 'string'
              }
          });
  })
  .command('version [<adapter>]', 'Show version of js-controller or specified adapter')
  .option('version', {
      describe: 'Show version',
      type: 'boolean',
      alias: 'v'
  })
  .wrap(null)
  ;

yargs.parse(process.argv.slice(2));
yargs.showHelp();

[foxriver76]

yes, fixed now. Thank you!