Setter method annotated by @Option with default value not been invoked when reusing it

[Zhonghao Wang]

Behavior: Setter method annotated by @option with default value not been invoked when reusing it(By saving reusing, I leveraged @Mixin).

For example:

I have a @Mixin class has bunch options

public class InputOptions {
    private final static String DEFAULT_ENV = "env";
    private final static String DEFAULT_REGION = "region";

    private String env;
    private String region;

    @CommandLine.Spec(MIXEE)
    private CommandSpec mixee;

    @CommandLine.Option(
        names = {"-e", "--env"},
        defaultValue = DEFAULT_ENV)
    public void setEnv(String env) {
        this.env = env;
        if (!DEFAULT_ENV.equals(env) && !this.equals(getRoot().inputOptions)) {
            getRoot().inputOptions.setEnv(env);
        }
    }

    @CommandLine.Option(
        names = {"-r", "--region"},
        defaultValue = DEFAULT_REGION)
    public void setRegion(String region) {
        this.region = region;
        if (!DEFAULT_REGION.equals(region) && !this.equals(getRoot().inputOptions)) {
            getRoot().inputOptions.setRegion(region);
        }
    }


    public String getEnv() {
        if (this.equals(getRoot().inputOptions)) return env;
        return getRoot().inputOptions.getEnv();
    }

    public String getRegion() {
        if (this.equals(getRoot().inputOptions)) return region;
        return getRoot().inputOptions.getRegion();
    }

    private T getRoot() {
        return (T) mixee.root().userObject();
    }
}

I reused this options in other commands(in parents and subcommands as global options, I referred example: https://picocli.info/#_use_case_configure_log_level_with_a_global_option)

But found the behavior that when I define the options, the parent command(parent/child are relevant to the mixee command level) 's @Mixin instance's option will not be invoked at all.

For example, I have command A(toplevel), B(subCommand), C(subsubCommand), all of them has declare d@Mixin InputOptions inputOptions.

Cases:

1. Running A B -e XX C, setEnv in InputOptions of A is not called at all, but C's InputOptions setEnv in called.
2. Running A B C -e XX, setEnv of InputOptions in both A and B is not called at all.

Worth to notice, setRegion has been called in all InputOptions instances in both 2 cases above.

Is this some misbehaving in picocli? I was expecting in any cases, the setters method should be called in all InputOptions options. Thus the default value can be set for the options.

[Remko Popma]

Hi, sorry for the late response.
Can you run your program with tracing set to DEBUG (e.g. use system property -Dpicocli.trace=DEBUG)
and post the output here please?

[Remko Popma]

Thank you for raising this. It looks like you have found a bug.

For the input A B C -e XX, the default value should be applied to setEnv for the A and the B commands, but as you say, this method is only called for C with the command line value "XX".

It looks like the bug is due to the implementation of equals on OptionSpec. As a result, the OptionSpec instance for the --env option in the mixin for A is considered equal to the instance in the B command and in the C command.
Since the --env option was assigned a value "XX" for the C command, it won't assign the default value any more.

The bug means that picocli thinks that the --env option instance in C is the same instance as in the A and B commands, so those are not assigned the default value either, which is incorrect.

[Remko Popma]

Fixed in main. Thank you for raising this!