pytest-dev / pytest-dev/pytest

`AttributeError` with invalid flag added in `pytest_addoption`

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type: bug
Dominant language
Python
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

With Python 3.13.7 and pytest-8.4.2, doing this in a conftest.py:

def pytest_addoption(parser):
    parser.addoption("shuffle")  # without --

results in:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  ...
    File ".../conftest.py", line 2, in pytest_addoption
    parser.addoption("shuffle")
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 102, in addoption
    self._anonymous.addoption(*opts, **attrs)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 406, in addoption
    option = Argument(*opts, **attrs)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 300, in __init__
    self._set_opt_strings(names)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 349, in _set_opt_strings
    raise ArgumentError(
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
        f"invalid long option string {opt!r}: "
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        "must start with --, followed by non-dash",
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        self,
        ^^^^^
    )
    ^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 268, in __init__
    self.option_id = str(option)
                     ~~~^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/_pytest/config/argparsing.py", line 362, in __repr__
    args += ["dest: " + repr(self.dest)]
                             ^^^^^^^^^
AttributeError: 'Argument' object has no attribute 'dest'

Contributor guide

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First steps

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  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

The traceback points to _pytest/config/argparsing.py, especially Argument._set_opt_strings and repr; start there and inspect how invalid option names are rendered. Add a regression test for parser.addoption("shuffle") and verify it reports the invalid option error without an AttributeError.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
testing
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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