Add tests and docs for '--' argument separator requirement

- Add TestArgumentSeparator class with 8 tests verifying that script
  arguments must come after '--' separator
- Update create and edit command docstrings with examples showing
  correct usage of '--' separator
- Update argument help text to indicate "(must come after '--')"
- Add "Passing Arguments to Your Script" section to README

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Erich Blume 2026-01-11 19:45:54 -08:00
commit c601514e3d
3 changed files with 145 additions and 6 deletions

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@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ mcquack list
# Create and load an executable as a LaunchAgent
mcquack create /path/to/your/script
# Create with additional arguments for the script
# Create with additional arguments for the script (note the -- separator)
mcquack create /path/to/your/script -- --arg1 value1 --arg2
# Kickstart (immediately run) the LaunchAgent
@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ mcquack launch /path/to/your/script
# Show the current arguments configured in the plist
mcquack show /path/to/your/script
# Edit the arguments in the plist
# Edit the arguments in the plist (note the -- separator)
mcquack edit /path/to/your/script -- --new-arg1 --new-arg2
# Unload (stop) the LaunchAgent
@ -47,6 +47,25 @@ mcquack unload /path/to/your/script
mcquack delete /path/to/your/script
```
### Passing Arguments to Your Script
When passing arguments to your script with `create` or `edit`, you **must** use `--` to
separate mcquack's options from arguments intended for your script:
```bash
# Correct: passes --config and --debug to your script
mcquack create my_script.sh -- --config /path/to/config --debug
# Wrong: --help is interpreted as mcquack's --help flag, shows help instead
mcquack create my_script.sh --help
# Correct: passes --help as an argument to your script
mcquack create my_script.sh -- --help
```
The `--` separator ensures that flags like `--help`, `--verbose`, etc. are passed to your
script rather than being interpreted by mcquack itself.
## How it works
mcquack creates plist files in `~/Library/LaunchAgents/` with the naming convention:

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@ -74,9 +74,23 @@ def list_agents() -> None:
@app.command()
def create(
script: Annotated[Path, typer.Argument(help="Path to the executable script")],
script_args: Annotated[list[str] | None, typer.Argument(help="Arguments to pass to the script")] = None,
script_args: Annotated[
list[str] | None,
typer.Argument(help="Arguments to pass to the script (must come after '--')"),
] = None,
) -> None:
"""Create and load a LaunchAgent for a script."""
"""Create and load a LaunchAgent for a script.
To pass arguments to your script, use '--' to separate mcquack options from
script arguments. For example:
mcquack create my_script.sh -- --config /path/to/config
Without '--', options like --help apply to mcquack itself:
mcquack create my_script.sh --help # Shows this help
mcquack create my_script.sh -- --help # Passes --help to the script
"""
script_path = script.resolve()
if not script_path.exists():
@ -170,9 +184,22 @@ def show(
@app.command()
def edit(
script: Annotated[Path, typer.Argument(help="Path to the executable script")],
script_args: Annotated[list[str] | None, typer.Argument(help="New arguments for the script")] = None,
script_args: Annotated[
list[str] | None,
typer.Argument(help="New arguments for the script (must come after '--')"),
] = None,
) -> None:
"""Edit the arguments in a plist."""
"""Edit the arguments in a plist.
To update script arguments, use '--' to separate mcquack options from
script arguments. For example:
mcquack edit my_script.sh -- --verbose --debug
This replaces all existing script arguments. To clear arguments, omit them:
mcquack edit my_script.sh
"""
script_path = script.resolve()
plist_path = get_plist_path(script_path)

View file

@ -214,6 +214,99 @@ class TestDelete:
assert "does not exist" in result.output
class TestArgumentSeparator:
"""Tests verifying that '--' separator is required for passing arguments to scripts.
This ensures that:
- 'mcquack create script.sh --help' shows help for the create command
- 'mcquack create script.sh -- --help' creates a plist with --help as a script arg
"""
def test_create_help_without_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that --help without -- shows create command help, not passed to script."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--help"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
# Should show help text for create command
assert "Create and load a LaunchAgent" in result.stdout or "Usage:" in result.stdout
# Should NOT have created a plist
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
assert not plist_path.exists()
def test_create_help_with_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that -- --help passes --help as an argument to the script."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--", "--help"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
assert "Created:" in result.stdout
# Verify --help is in the plist as a script argument
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
assert plist_path.exists()
program_args = read_plist_args(plist_path)
assert "--help" in program_args
assert program_args[1] == "--help"
def test_create_verbose_without_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that --verbose without -- is treated as unknown option, not script arg."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--verbose"])
# Typer should reject unknown options
assert result.exit_code != 0
assert "No such option" in result.output or "no such option" in result.output.lower()
# Should NOT have created a plist
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
assert not plist_path.exists()
def test_create_verbose_with_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that -- --verbose passes --verbose as an argument to the script."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--", "--verbose"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
program_args = read_plist_args(plist_path)
assert "--verbose" in program_args
def test_edit_help_without_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that edit --help shows edit command help."""
# First create an agent
runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script)])
result = runner.invoke(app, ["edit", str(mock_script), "--help"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
assert "Edit the arguments" in result.stdout or "Usage:" in result.stdout
def test_edit_help_with_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that edit -- --help passes --help as a new argument."""
# First create an agent
runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script)])
result = runner.invoke(app, ["edit", str(mock_script), "--", "--help"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
program_args = read_plist_args(plist_path)
assert "--help" in program_args
def test_create_mixed_args_with_separator(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify multiple dash-prefixed args after -- are all passed to script."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--", "--config", "/path", "--debug", "-v"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
program_args = read_plist_args(plist_path)
# All args after -- should be in the plist
assert program_args[1:] == ["--config", "/path", "--debug", "-v"]
def test_create_double_dash_as_argument(self, mock_dirs, mock_script, mock_launchctl):
"""Verify that -- can be passed as a script argument using -- --."""
result = runner.invoke(app, ["create", str(mock_script), "--", "--", "arg_after_double_dash"])
assert result.exit_code == 0
plist_path = get_plist_path(mock_dirs)
program_args = read_plist_args(plist_path)
# The first -- is consumed by typer, the second becomes an argument
assert "--" in program_args
assert "arg_after_double_dash" in program_args
class TestPlistFormat:
"""Tests verifying plist file format independently of plistlib."""