fix: show full parent command path in subcommand usage errors (#9404)

shaanmajid · web-flow · commit fe41ae7c6b38 · 2026-06-02T07:46:16.000-07:00
diff --git a/lib/base-cmd.js b/lib/base-cmd.js
@@ -129,14 +129,16 @@ class BaseCommand {
     }
 
     fullUsage.push('')
-    fullUsage.push(`Run "npm help ${name}" for more info`)
+    const helpName = parentName ? parentName.split(' ')[0] : name
+    fullUsage.push(`Run "npm help ${helpName}" for more info`)
 
     return fullUsage.join('\n')
   }
 
   constructor (npm) {
     this.npm = npm
     this.commandArgs = null
+    this.parentName = null
 
     const { config } = this
 
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ class BaseCommand {
   }
 
   get usage () {
-    return this.constructor.describeUsage
+    return this.constructor.getUsage(this.parentName)
   }
 
   usageError (prefix = '') {
diff --git a/lib/npm.js b/lib/npm.js
@@ -241,12 +241,13 @@ class Npm {
 
       // Check if help is requested for the subcommand
       if (this.config.get('usage')) {
-        const parentName = commandPath[0]
+        const parentName = commandPath.join(' ')
         return output.standard(SubCommand.getUsage(parentName))
       }
 
       // Create subcommand instance and recurse
       const subcommandInstance = new SubCommand(this)
+      subcommandInstance.parentName = commandPath.join(' ')
       const subcommandArgs = args.slice(1) // Remove subcommand name from args
       const subcommandPath = [...commandPath, subcommandName]
 
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/install.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/install.js.test.cjs
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ silly logfile done cleaning log files
 verbose stack Error: The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
 verbose stack Invalid devEngines.runtime
 verbose stack Invalid name "nondescript" does not match "node" for "runtime"
-verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:247:27)
-verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:281:7)
+verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:249:27)
+verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:282:7)
 verbose stack     at MockNpm.exec ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:182:9)
 error code EBADDEVENGINES
 error EBADDEVENGINES The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ warn EBADDEVENGINES }
 verbose stack Error: The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
 verbose stack Invalid devEngines.runtime
 verbose stack Invalid name "nondescript" does not match "node" for "runtime"
-verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:247:27)
-verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:281:7)
+verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:249:27)
+verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:282:7)
 verbose stack     at MockNpm.exec ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:182:9)
 error code EBADDEVENGINES
 error EBADDEVENGINES The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ silly logfile done cleaning log files
 verbose stack Error: The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
 verbose stack Invalid devEngines.runtime
 verbose stack Invalid name "nondescript" does not match "node" for "runtime"
-verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:247:27)
-verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:281:7)
+verbose stack     at Install.checkDevEngines ({CWD}/lib/base-cmd.js:249:27)
+verbose stack     at MockNpm.execCommandClass ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:282:7)
 verbose stack     at MockNpm.exec ({CWD}/lib/npm.js:182:9)
 error code EBADDEVENGINES
 error EBADDEVENGINES The developer of this package has specified the following through devEngines
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/stage/approve.js b/test/lib/commands/stage/approve.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ t.test('throws usageError without stage-id', async t => {
   })
   await t.rejects(npm.exec('stage', ['approve']), {
     code: 'EUSAGE',
+    message: /npm stage approve <stage-id>/,
   })
 })
 

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -129,14 +129,16 @@ class BaseCommand {`
`129`	`129`	`}`
`130`	`130`
`131`	`131`	`fullUsage.push('')`
`132`		- fullUsage.push(`Run "npm help ${name}" for more info`)
	`132`	`+ const helpName = parentName ? parentName.split(' ')[0] : name`
	`133`	+ fullUsage.push(`Run "npm help ${helpName}" for more info`)
`133`	`134`
`134`	`135`	`return fullUsage.join('\n')`
`135`	`136`	`}`
`136`	`137`
`137`	`138`	`constructor (npm) {`
`138`	`139`	`this.npm = npm`
`139`	`140`	`this.commandArgs = null`
	`141`	`+ this.parentName = null`
`140`	`142`
`141`	`143`	`const { config } = this`
`142`	`144`
`@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ class BaseCommand {`
`167`	`169`	`}`
`168`	`170`
`169`	`171`	`get usage () {`
`170`		`- return this.constructor.describeUsage`
	`172`	`+ return this.constructor.getUsage(this.parentName)`
`171`	`173`	`}`
`172`	`174`
`173`	`175`	`usageError (prefix = '') {`