common-workflow-language / common-workflow-language/cwltool

`--single-step <stepname>` plus `--help` to list the inputs doesn't produce the correct results

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Description

and `--single-step --make-template` only documents the overall workflow inputs

```
$ cwltool --single-step data_selection https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/work_test.cwl --help
INFO /home/michael/src/2026-06-OPTIMADE/env/bin/cwltool 3.2.20260413085819
WARNING https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl:25:3: object id 'https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl#attributes' previously defined
WARNING https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl:25:3: object id 'https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl#attributes' previously defined
usage: https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/work_test.cwl [-h] [job_order]

positional arguments:
job_order Job input json file

options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
```

```
$ cwltool --single-step data_selection --make-template https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/work_test.cwl
INFO /home/michael/src/2026-06-OPTIMADE/env/bin/cwltool 3.2.20260413085819
WARNING https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl:25:3: object id 'https://github.com/cnherrera/CWL_Workflow_DIADEM_use_case/raw/81e468181639c02c286ebef2826c4998b9a67cfd/data_selection.cwl#attributes' previously defined
output_file: a_string # type 'string'
hpc_resource: a_string # type 'string'
database_name: a_string # type 'string'
conditions: a_string # type 'string'
attributes_to_simulate: # array of type 'string'
- a_string
attributes_to_extract: # array of type 'string'
- a_string
```

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reproducing the two cwltool commands in the issue and trace the CLI handling of --single-step with --help and --make-template. The fix is done when both commands list and template the selected step's inputs rather than only the overall workflow inputs.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
cli
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
58/100

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