From 3e6d06e663ba4931421065c68526b94f306fcd84 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ramesh Padmanabhaiah <codeforester@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 13:02:10 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Tighten parser option handling

---
 lib/bash/arg/README.md          |  6 ++++--
 lib/bash/arg/lib_arg.sh         |  2 +-
 lib/bash/arg/tests/lib_arg.bats | 12 ++++++++++++
 lib/bash/std/README.md          |  8 ++++++++
 lib/bash/std/lib_std.sh         |  4 ++++
 lib/bash/std/tests/lib_std.bats | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 6 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/lib/bash/arg/README.md b/lib/bash/arg/README.md
index d821c23..595d1f6 100644
--- a/lib/bash/arg/README.md
+++ b/lib/bash/arg/README.md
@@ -39,8 +39,10 @@ Spec entries use `name|kind|token[|token...]`:
 - each `token` is an exact option token, such as `--verbose` or `-v`.
 
 The parser supports `--option value`, `--option=value`, repeated options where
-the last value wins, and `--` to stop option parsing. A value option followed by
-another registered option token is treated as missing its value; use
+the last value wins, and `--` to stop option parsing. When a value option is
+waiting for a value, a standalone `--` is treated as that value; use another
+`--` if you also need to stop option parsing after it. A value option followed
+by another registered option token is treated as missing its value; use
 `--option=value` when a value is intentionally option-like. Unknown options,
 malformed specs, and missing values return status `2`.
 
diff --git a/lib/bash/arg/lib_arg.sh b/lib/bash/arg/lib_arg.sh
index 5af9b44..d15847e 100644
--- a/lib/bash/arg/lib_arg.sh
+++ b/lib/bash/arg/lib_arg.sh
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ arg_parse() {
                 continue
             fi
 
-            if (($# == 0)) || [[ "${1-}" == "--" ]]; then
+            if (($# == 0)); then
                 log_error "arg_parse: option '$__arg_option_token' requires a value."
                 return 2
             fi
diff --git a/lib/bash/arg/tests/lib_arg.bats b/lib/bash/arg/tests/lib_arg.bats
index b3bf10b..5657bf1 100644
--- a/lib/bash/arg/tests/lib_arg.bats
+++ b/lib/bash/arg/tests/lib_arg.bats
@@ -71,6 +71,18 @@ create_script() {
     [ "${positionals[0]}" = "item" ]
 }
 
+@test "arg_parse accepts -- as a value option value" {
+    local -a specs=("output|value|--output|-o")
+    local -A options=()
+    local -a positionals=()
+
+    arg_parse options positionals specs -- --output -- item
+
+    [ "${options[output]}" = "--" ]
+    [ "${#positionals[@]}" -eq 1 ]
+    [ "${positionals[0]}" = "item" ]
+}
+
 @test "arg_parse returns usage status for unknown options" {
     local -a specs=("verbose|flag|--verbose|-v")
     local -A options=()
diff --git a/lib/bash/std/README.md b/lib/bash/std/README.md
index 721e805..f8ba14f 100644
--- a/lib/bash/std/README.md
+++ b/lib/bash/std/README.md
@@ -265,6 +265,14 @@ Use `std_run` for commands plus arguments. Keep shell features such as
 pipelines, redirection, process substitution, and complex conditionals explicit
 in the calling script so the code remains clear.
 
+Unknown `std_run` options beginning with `--` are rejected before command
+execution. If the command itself begins with `--`, terminate `std_run` options
+first:
+
+```bash
+std_run -- --command-name arg
+```
+
 `run` remains available as a compatibility wrapper for existing callers, but new
 code should use `std_run` to avoid collisions with test frameworks and other
 Bash libraries that define their own `run` helper.
diff --git a/lib/bash/std/lib_std.sh b/lib/bash/std/lib_std.sh
index 3d2a6ee..f560e0d 100644
--- a/lib/bash/std/lib_std.sh
+++ b/lib/bash/std/lib_std.sh
@@ -932,6 +932,10 @@ __std_run_impl__() {
                 break
                 ;;
             *)
+                if [[ "${1-}" == --* ]]; then
+                    log_error "$helper_name: unknown option '$1'. Use -- before commands that begin with --."
+                    return 1
+                fi
                 break
                 ;;
         esac
diff --git a/lib/bash/std/tests/lib_std.bats b/lib/bash/std/tests/lib_std.bats
index 6cfd7af..b79ccf4 100644
--- a/lib/bash/std/tests/lib_std.bats
+++ b/lib/bash/std/tests/lib_std.bats
@@ -848,6 +848,36 @@ EOF
     [[ "$(cat "$stderr_file")" == *"std_run: No command provided."* ]]
 }
 
+@test "std_run rejects unknown long options before command execution" {
+    local stderr_file="$TEST_TMPDIR/run-unknown-option.err"
+    local rc
+
+    if std_run --typo echo "should not run" 2>"$stderr_file"; then
+        rc=0
+    else
+        rc=$?
+    fi
+
+    [ "$rc" -eq 1 ]
+    [[ "$(cat "$stderr_file")" == *"std_run: unknown option '--typo'."* ]]
+    [[ "$(cat "$stderr_file")" == *"Use -- before commands that begin with --."* ]]
+}
+
+@test "std_run allows command names beginning with -- after option terminator" {
+    local fake_bin="$TEST_TMPDIR/bin"
+    local output_file="$TEST_TMPDIR/option-like-command.out"
+
+    mkdir -p "$fake_bin"
+    create_script "$fake_bin/--record-command" <<'EOF'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+printf '%s\n' "$1" > "$2"
+EOF
+
+    PATH="$fake_bin:$PATH" std_run -- --record-command "ran" "$output_file"
+
+    [ "$(cat "$output_file")" = "ran" ]
+}
+
 @test "std_run honors dry-run mode without executing the command" {
     local target="$TEST_TMPDIR/dry-run.txt"
     DRY_RUN=true