Error when exporting Lua language server documentation

[GeTechG]

How are you using the lua-language-server?

Visual Studio Code Extension (sumneko.lua)

Which OS are you using?

Windows

What is the issue affecting?

Other

Expected Behaviour

documentation export

Actual Behaviour

I encountered an error when trying to export documentation using the Lua language server (sumneko.lua-3.14.0):
[error]: script\cli\doc\export.lua:61: bad argument #1 to 'canonical' (bee::path expected, got nil)

Reproduction steps

1. Install sumneko.lua-3.14.0 extension in VS Code
2. Create a simple Lua project with documentation comments
3. Try to export documentation (through command palette)

Additional Notes

This appears to be a regression or oversight in the extension where it attempts to use a variable before it's defined. The fix is straightforward and might help other users encountering the same issue.

Solution

I fixed this by modifying script\cli\doc\export.lua to define the DOC variable with a simpler fallback approach that doesn't rely on non-existent functions:

-- Define DOC variable to avoid nil error
local DOC = DOC or (ws.rootUri and fs.path(furi.decode(ws.rootUri)) or fs.current_path())

This simple fix ensures that DOC is always defined with a valid path value before it's used in the getLocalPath function, allowing the documentation export functionality to work properly.

Log File

[00:02:10.453][error][#0]: script\cli\doc\export.lua:61: bad argument #1 to 'canonical' (bee::path expected, got nil)
stack traceback:
[C]: in function 'bee.filesystem.canonical'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:61: in field 'getLocalPath'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:170: in field '?'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:118: in field 'documentObject'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:261: in field 'variable'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:235: in field '?'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:118: in field 'documentObject'
script\cli\doc\export.lua:287: in field 'makeDocs'
script\cli\doc\init.lua:162: in function 'cli.doc.makeDoc'
script\core\command\exportDocument.lua:10: in function 'core.command.exportDocument'
script\provider\provider.lua:1009: in function <script\provider\provider.lua:987>
[C]: in function 'xpcall'
script\proto\proto.lua:202: in function <script\proto\proto.lua:177>

[tomlau10]

This is surely a regression issue, as the export feature undergoes a heavy refactor before in the PR #2821.
Since then it uses the DOC global variable in the getLocalPath(). 🤔
https://github.com/LuaLS/lua-language-server/blame/115a518ad995bfc6ae8dabf216451055e1633898/script/cli/doc/export.lua#L57-L60

• AFAIK the DOC here is a global variable representing the --doc CLI argument, it should not be nil when called from CLI:
  

  lua-language-server/script/cli/doc/init.lua

  Lines 175 to 186 in 606ea70

  	---CLI call for documentation (parameter '--DOC=...' is passed to server)
  	function doc.runCLI()
  	lang(LOCALE)
  	if DOC_UPDATE then
  	DOC_OUT_PATH, DOC = getPathDocUpdate()
  	end
  	if type(DOC) ~= 'string' then
  	print(lang.script('CLI_CHECK_ERROR_TYPE', type(DOC)))
  	return
  	end

• A better way might be to set this DOC global inside doc.makeDoc(), and unset after finish?
  Something like this:

    DOC = ws.rootUri and fs.path(furi.decode(ws.rootUri)) or fs.current_path()
    local docs = dirty_export.makeDocs(globals, function (i, max)
        prog:setMessage(('%d/%d'):format(i, max))
        prog:setPercentage((i) / max * 100)
    end)
    DOC = nil

[GeTechG]

@tomlau10 Yes definitely, I would like to point out that I was not running through cli but through the vscode palette suggesting that I may not have accurately pointed out the problem, and the problem is how vscode is called. Since through cli it seems to complete successfully without any problems.