aspiers/stow

Clarify error message when `--target` directory doesn't exist

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#126 opened on Jan 22, 2025

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UXeasyhelp wanted

Description

The current error message if the --target directory doesn't exist looks like this:

stow: --target value '<path>' is not a valid directory

I personally found this wording to be quite confusing, and I actually ended up having to search the source code for the error to find what it actually meant. The phrasing "is not a valid directory" reads to me as "this is a directory, but you're not allowed to use it", not as "the target doesn't exist".

Additionally, having the full help print out in this error case makes it harder to see the error message at all.

I propose the following changes:

  1. Reword the error to be --target value '<path>' doesn't exist or is not a directory
  2. Don't automatically print the help if the --target is invalid

Contributor guide

Tech stack
None
Domain
clitooling
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
1
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
under 1 hour
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
None
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
90
Research direction
Look in the source code for the error string 'is not a valid directory' and the associated help printing. Modify the error message to ' target value '<path>' doesn't exist or is not a directory'. Also remove the automatic help output upon this error. Refer to the issue for exact wording.