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Remove the deprecated spellings, and --output-file, which no tool uses

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Assessment

Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Newbie friendliness
48/100
Issue type
Refactor
Clarity
Clearly specified
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
cpp
Domain
cli, documentation, testing

Research direction

Start with the deprecated option and key handling in src/App/Config.cpp, src/App/ToolConfig.cpp, and include/ctrace_defs/types.hpp; review the tests and docs/configuration.md section named in the issue. Update the warning for --output-file and output_file, then remove the listed compatibility paths, their tests, and the Legacy Compatibility section. Update CHANGELOG.md for the removal release and run ctest; removed keys and options should be rejected.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

chore severity/minor

ctrace still accepts spellings that were replaced, each with its own code path, tests and documentation:

Spelling Replaced by Where
--async, runtime.async --jobs, runtime.jobs (#158) src/App/Config.cpp:151, src/App/ToolConfig.cpp:729
--ipc=socket --ipc=standardIO (#83) include/ctrace_defs/types.hpp:26-41
Root invoke and input, stack_analyzer legacy keys, stack_analyzer.include_dirs and defines, tools.ctrace_stack_analyzer, tools.stack_analyzer The canonical sections (#87) src/App/ToolConfig.cpp (applyLegacyRootInvokeAndInput, deprecated); docs/configuration.md, "Legacy Compatibility"

--output-file (config output.output_file, API output_file) is in a worse state: its help text says "Legacy output path; no current tool writes to it" (src/App/Config.cpp:72). It is accepted, without any warning, and does nothing.

To do

  1. Make --output-file and output_file warn like the other deprecated spellings.
  2. In CHANGELOG.md, announce the release that removes them all.
  3. In that release, remove them, with their tests and the "Legacy Compatibility" section of docs/configuration.md.

Acceptance

  • After the removal, a removed key is rejected with the unknown-key diagnostic that names the allowed keys, and a removed option is rejected by the CLI.
  • ctest passes.

From the technical debt register (docs/quality/technical-debt.md, D6).

Dominant language
C++
Stars
5
Forks
4
Avg merge
1h 4m
Merged PRs (30d)
71

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

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