GraalVM native image build with mixinStandardHelpOptions is missing a reflect-config entry

[itzg]

I am experiencing a similar outcome as #850 ; however, my scenario must be unrelated since that issue was resolved.

I am building a "native image" with GraalVM 17.0.8+9-LTS-jvmci-23.0-b14. Executing the application with no arguments results in the exception shown below. Dependencies in gradle build are

    def picocliVersion = '4.7.5'
    implementation "info.picocli:picocli:${picocliVersion}"
    annotationProcessor "info.picocli:picocli-codegen:${picocliVersion}"

I have created a project that reproduces the issue and this Github actions build shows the execution failure.

It seems to be a very particular combination of declarations. I have a sub-command where

1. its @Command declares mixinStandardHelpOptions = true
2. the command class has two or more @Option fields

If I comment out the mixinStandardHelpOptions = true or the second option, then the built executable runs fine.

Upon further investigation, I found that the build with failing executable is missing the following entry in the generated reflect-config.json:

  {
    "name" : "picocli.CommandLine$AutoHelpMixin",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "helpRequested" },
      { "name" : "versionRequested" }
    ]
  }

Failure exception

Exception in thread "main" picocli.CommandLine$InitializationException: picocli.CommandLine$AutoHelpMixin@39308[11](https://github.com/itzg/try-picocli-graalvm-mixinstdhelp/actions/runs/6066310058/job/16456756746#step:5:12)e is not a command: it has no @Command, @Option, @Parameters or @Unmatched annotations
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandReflection.validateCommandSpec(CommandLine.java:[12](https://github.com/itzg/try-picocli-graalvm-mixinstdhelp/actions/runs/6066310058/job/16456756746#step:5:13)023)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandReflection.extractCommandSpec(CommandLine.java:11853)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandSpec.forAnnotatedObject(CommandLine.java:6388)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandSpec.mixinStandardHelpOptions(CommandLine.java:7385)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandReflection.extractCommandSpec(CommandLine.java:11848)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandSpec.forAnnotatedObject(CommandLine.java:6388)
	at picocli.CommandLine.<init>(CommandLine.java:230)
	at picocli.CommandLine.toCommandLine(CommandLine.java:3631)
	at picocli.CommandLine.access$16700(CommandLine.java:[14](https://github.com/itzg/try-picocli-graalvm-mixinstdhelp/actions/runs/6066310058/job/16456756746#step:5:15)8)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandReflection.initSubcommands(CommandLine.java:1[18](https://github.com/itzg/try-picocli-graalvm-mixinstdhelp/actions/runs/6066310058/job/16456756746#step:5:19)78)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandReflection.extractCommandSpec(CommandLine.java:11844)
	at picocli.CommandLine$Model$CommandSpec.forAnnotatedObject(CommandLine.java:6388)
	at picocli.CommandLine.<init>(CommandLine.java:230)
	at picocli.CommandLine.<init>(CommandLine.java:224)
	at picocli.CommandLine.<init>(CommandLine.java:[19](https://github.com/itzg/try-picocli-graalvm-mixinstdhelp/actions/runs/6066310058/job/16456756746#step:5:20)9)
	at app.Application.main(Application.java:14)

reflect-config.json when it doesn't work

[
  {
    "name" : "app.Application",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "showHelp" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "name" : "app.WithMixinStdHelpCommand",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "project" },
      { "name" : "version" }
    ]
  }
]

reflect-config.json when it works

[
  {
    "name" : "app.Application",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "showHelp" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "name" : "app.WithMixinStdHelpCommand",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "project" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "name" : "picocli.CommandLine$AutoHelpMixin",
    "allDeclaredConstructors" : true,
    "allPublicConstructors" : true,
    "allDeclaredMethods" : true,
    "allPublicMethods" : true,
    "fields" : [
      { "name" : "helpRequested" },
      { "name" : "versionRequested" }
    ]
  }
]

[mfuerstenau]

Can confirm. I have no subcommand defined but I encounter this issue in Windows and Linux. Maven 3.8.4, picocli 4.7.5. Main class entry is present but Mixin class entry is missing. Manually adding it fixed the issue.

@itzg You wrote "when it works", did it on occasion work for you?

[remkop]

Can confirm. I have no subcommand defined but I encounter this issue in Windows and Linux. Maven 3.8.4, picocli 4.7.5. Main class entry is present but Mixin class entry is missing. Manually adding it fixed the issue.

@itzg You wrote "when it works", did it on occasion work for you?

Thank you both for raising this!

@mfuerstenau you mentioned that you are able to reproduce the issue in a top-level command without subcommands; can you provide more details to help me reproduce the issue? (How many options, does the command have positional parameters, other mixins, ...)

[itzg]

@itzg You wrote "when it works", did it on occasion work for you?

@mfuerstenau I just meant when there is only one option field declared then the mixin class got auto-discovered and captured in the reflect json. When there were two options, it didn't.

[itzg]

I found what is causing my issue: the second option in my command class is named "version", which overlaps with the standard help options. At this point the mixin is not added to the outer ComandSpec:

https://github.com/remkop/picocli/blob/6dfd688da3001d5dd865f42288e58dfe32b82765/src/main/java/picocli/CommandLine.java#L7387-L7393

This now seems a self-inflicted issue, so I'm good with closing this issue if it seems like outcome matches expectations.