--optimize_for_size flag doesn't work with NODE_OPTIONS env (windows 10)

[crutch12]

• Version: v12.16.1
• Platform: windows 10
• Subsystem:

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Run

# I use cross-env, you can use any tool for env setting
$ cross-env NODE_OPTIONS='--optimize_for_size' node

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior?

It has to work just like this:

$ node --optimize_for_size
...
Welcome to Node.js v12.16.1.
Type ".help" for more information.

What do you see instead?

$ cross-env NODE_OPTIONS='--optimize_for_size' node

Error:

node: --optimize_for_size is not allowed in NODE_OPTIONS

Additional information

Another flags work correctly, for example:

$ cross-env NODE_OPTIONS='--preserve-symlinks --max_old_space_size=4096' node

I've checked source code and found out that --optimize_for_size flag is not added (using AddOption function) in node_options.cc file:

node/src/node_options.cc

Line 546 in 22c52aa

PerIsolateOptionsParser::PerIsolateOptionsParser(

---

UPD:
This option is not allowed for NODE_OPTIONS env: https://nodejs.org/api/cli.html#cli_node_options_options

[crutch12]

My fault, this option is not allowed for NODE_OPTIONS env:
https://nodejs.org/api/cli.html#cli_node_options_options

So another question - why does --optimize_for_size is not available to pass with NODE_OPTIONS?

[drandell]

In a similar vein, why is --gc_interval not available to pass with NODE_OPTIONS?

[tkrah]

Btw, that is not only a windows 10 problem like the subject may imply, same does apply e.g. to linux environments. I would really tune those node_options to meet my CI requirements - resources have to be shared there.
So why are those options not passed - the doc just state which are passed but takes no reason to elaborate why others are not - at least I did not found it ;).

The docs also has this https://nodejs.org/api/cli.html#useful-v8-options:

V8 has its own set of CLI options. Any V8 CLI option that is provided to node will be passed on to V8 to handle.

So any option will be passed according to the docs - but this is obviously not the case.

[huseyinacacak-janea]

Hi @crutch12, as you updated the issue description, --optimize_for_size is not allowed for NODE_OPTIONS. Do you think this can be closed now?