ninja-build/ninja

Add testing and documentation for `-k` and `-l` flags

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#2757 opened on Mar 26, 2026

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help wanted

Description

These 2 flags are not mentioned in the Manual page (though they are listed when --help is used, which may be sufficient as-is), and are not tested in the test suite. I have rough ideas for, and am willing to make a PR (or separate PRs) to fix these issues, which in turn will also fix issue #630.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
clibuild system
Issue type
test
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
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
basic C++ knowledgeunderstanding of ninja's flag handling
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Look at the existing manual page (likely doc/manual.md) and the test suite (in tests/). Identify where k and l flags are parsed and used in the source code. Add test cases for these flags following the pattern of existing tests. Update the manual page to document the flags. Also review issue #630 for additional context.