grunt --tasks broken

[LandonSchropp]

I'm using grunt version 0.4.1 and grunt-cli version 0.1.9. If I add this Gruntfile:

module.exports = function(grunt) {};

And I run grunt --tasks, I get the following error:

path.js:360
        throw new TypeError('Arguments to path.join must be strings');
              ^
TypeError: Arguments to path.join must be strings
    at path.js:360:15
    at Array.filter (native)
    at Object.exports.join (path.js:358:36)
    at Object.file.exists (/Users/landonschropp/Development/example/node_modules/grunt/lib/grunt/file.js:371:28)
    at task.loadTasks (/Users/landonschropp/Development/example/node_modules/grunt/lib/grunt/task.js:358:18)
    at Array.forEach (native)
    at Task.task.init (/Users/landonschropp/Development/example/node_modules/grunt/lib/grunt/task.js:444:33)
    at Object.grunt.tasks (/Users/landonschropp/Development/example/node_modules/grunt/lib/grunt.js:113:8)
    at Object.module.exports [as cli] (/Users/landonschropp/Development/example/node_modules/grunt/lib/grunt/cli.js:38:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/grunt-cli/bin/grunt:41:20)

[cowboy]

The grunt --tasks option requires an additional argument, which is a directory path to scan for task files. See grunt --help for more information.

[LandonSchropp]

I don't think this issue should be closed. The task should display an error message to the user rather than a stack trace. The stack trace isn't actionable to a user. Furthermore, in my opinion the documentation isn't clear about what the flag expects. Besides, why can't grunt --tasks use the current directory by default?

[cowboy]

The way the command line parser works is that because --tasks expects an additional argument, it will consume whatever follows it. Doing grunt mytask --tasks ./tasksdir will work the same as grunt --tasks ./tasksdir mytask. But they will behave totally differently if you omit the necessary argument after --tasks.

That being said, I'm all for better error messages. Can you open a ticket about improving error messages with misused command line options?

[cowboy]

(And reference this ticket, too)

[guillermo]

Ok. Thanks. Went through the same process.

Used to rake -T, run grunt --tasks and start googling.

[ulidtko]

Uhhh. So, again, how do I list available tasks?..

Seeing a traceback is not particularly enlightening when a user wants to do something very simple.

[bisrael]

@ulidtko -- do grunt -h and you'll see the available tasks after all of the options you can pass.

[shamess]

Thanks, @bisrael. That was what I was looking for too - didn't spot it first time around.