fix: reject whitespace-only descriptions and report them once

crates/taskbook-client/src/error.rs

@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ pub enum TaskbookError {
     #[error("Invalid item ID: {0}")]
     InvalidId(u64),
 
+    #[error("No description was given as input")]
+    MissingDescription,
+
     #[error("Invalid custom directory: {0}")]
     InvalidDirectory(String),
 

crates/taskbook-client/src/main.rs

@@ -350,7 +350,10 @@ fn main() {
         );
 
         if let Err(e) = result {
-            eprintln!("{}", e);
+            // Render has already reported a missing description.
+            if !matches!(e, error::TaskbookError::MissingDescription) {
+                eprintln!("{}", e);
+            }
             process::exit(1);
         }
     }

crates/taskbook-client/src/taskbook.rs

@@ -149,24 +149,25 @@ impl Taskbook {
     }
 
     fn get_options(&self, input: &[String]) -> Result<CreateOptions> {
-        if input.is_empty() {
-            self.render.missing_desc();
-            return Err(TaskbookError::InvalidId(0));
-        }
-
-        let data = self.get_data()?;
-        let id = self.generate_id(&data);
-
         let parsed = board::parse_cli_input(input).map_err(|e| match e {
             board::CliParseError::InvalidDueDate(raw) => {
                 self.render.invalid_due_date();
                 TaskbookError::General(format!("invalid due date: {raw}"))
             }
         })?;
 
+        let description = parsed.description.trim().to_string();
+        if description.is_empty() {
+            self.render.missing_desc();
+            return Err(TaskbookError::MissingDescription);
+        }
+
+        let data = self.get_data()?;
+        let id = self.generate_id(&data);
+
         Ok(CreateOptions {
             boards: parsed.boards,
-            description: parsed.description,
+            description,
             id,
             priority: parsed.priority,
             tags: parsed.tags,
@@ -685,11 +686,6 @@ impl Taskbook {
             ..
         } = self.get_options(desc)?;
 
-        if description.is_empty() {
-            self.render.missing_desc();
-            return Err(TaskbookError::InvalidId(0));
-        }
-
         let note = Note::new_with_tags(id, description, boards, tags);
         let mut data = self.get_data()?;
         data.insert(id.to_string(), StorageItem::Note(note));
@@ -788,11 +784,6 @@ impl Taskbook {
             due_date,
         } = self.get_options(desc)?;
 
-        if description.is_empty() {
-            self.render.missing_desc();
-            return Err(TaskbookError::InvalidId(0));
-        }
-
         let task =
             Task::new_with_tags(id, description, boards, priority, tags).with_due_date(due_date);
         let mut data = self.get_data()?;
@@ -956,11 +947,13 @@ impl Taskbook {
             .filter(|x| *x != target)
             .cloned()
             .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-            .join(" ");
+            .join(" ")
+            .trim()
+            .to_string();
 
         if new_desc.is_empty() {
             self.render.missing_desc();
-            return Err(TaskbookError::InvalidId(0));
+            return Err(TaskbookError::MissingDescription);
         }
 
         if let Some(item) = data.get_mut(&id.to_string()) {
@@ -1408,3 +1401,95 @@ impl Taskbook {
         self.save(&data)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn test_taskbook() -> Taskbook {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("tb-taskbook-test-{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4()));
+        let storage = LocalStorage::new(&dir).unwrap();
+        Taskbook::with_storage(Box::new(storage))
+    }
+
+    fn args(words: &[&str]) -> Vec<String> {
+        words.iter().map(|w| w.to_string()).collect()
+    }
+
+    fn only_item(tb: &Taskbook) -> StorageItem {
+        let items = tb.get_all_items().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(items.len(), 1);
+        items.into_values().next().unwrap()
+    }
+
+    // Node taskbook 0.3.0 stores an empty description for
+    // `tb -t "@coding Fix the bug"`. A quoted `@` argument is one board name
+    // (the only CLI way to create a board containing spaces), so these inputs
+    // have no description and must be rejected rather than stored.
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quoted_board_only_task_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        let err = tb.create_task(&args(&["@coding"])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert!(tb.get_all_items().unwrap().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quoted_board_only_note_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        let err = tb.create_note(&args(&["@coding"])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert!(tb.get_all_items().unwrap().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quoted_board_with_description_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        let err = tb.create_task(&args(&["@coding Fix the bug"])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert!(tb.get_all_items().unwrap().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quoted_board_argument_is_one_board_name() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        tb.create_task(&args(&["@Work Projects", "Write report"]))
+            .unwrap();
+        let task = only_item(&tb);
+        assert_eq!(task.description(), "Write report");
+        assert_eq!(task.boards(), ["Work Projects"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn whitespace_only_task_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        let err = tb.create_task(&args(&["   "])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert!(tb.get_all_items().unwrap().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn whitespace_only_note_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        let err = tb.create_note(&args(&["@coding", " "])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert!(tb.get_all_items().unwrap().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn task_description_is_trimmed() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        tb.create_task(&args(&["  Fix the bug  "])).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(only_item(&tb).description(), "Fix the bug");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn whitespace_only_edit_is_rejected() {
+        let tb = test_taskbook();
+        tb.create_task(&args(&["Fix the bug"])).unwrap();
+        let err = tb.edit_description(&args(&["@1", "   "])).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(err, TaskbookError::MissingDescription));
+        assert_eq!(only_item(&tb).description(), "Fix the bug");
+    }
+}

crates/taskbook-common/src/board.rs

@@ -318,4 +318,24 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_display_tag() {
         assert_eq!(display_tag("urgent"), "+urgent");
     }
+
+    // Each argv element is classified whole: quoting keeps a board name with
+    // spaces together, and keeps markers inside a description literal.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_cli_input_quoted_board_keeps_spaces() {
+        let input: Vec<String> = vec!["@Work Projects".into(), "Write report".into()];
+        let parsed = parse_cli_input(&input).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parsed.boards, vec!["Work Projects"]);
+        assert_eq!(parsed.description, "Write report");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_cli_input_quoted_description_keeps_markers_literal() {
+        let input: Vec<String> = vec!["Reply to @alice about the +1 p:3".into()];
+        let parsed = parse_cli_input(&input).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parsed.boards, vec![DEFAULT_BOARD]);
+        assert!(parsed.tags.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(parsed.priority, 1);
+        assert_eq!(parsed.description, "Reply to @alice about the +1 p:3");
+    }
 }

docs/cli-reference.md

@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ tb --task @work "Review pull request"
 tb --task @coding @review "Implement feature X"  # Multiple boards
 ```
 
+Each argument is classified whole by how it starts, so pass the board and the description as separate arguments. A quoted argument starting with `@` is a single board name, which is how to create a board containing spaces (and is required for `@` in PowerShell). Likewise an argument starting with `+` is a tag and one starting with `due:` is a due date, while `p:N` must be the entire argument. Markers later in a quoted description stay literal. These rules apply to notes as well.
+
+```bash
+tb --task "@Work Projects" "Write report"   # Board "Work Projects"
+tb --task "@coding Fix the bug"             # Rejected: whole argument is the board name, no description
+tb --task "Reply to @alice about the +1"    # Description kept as typed, default board
+```
+
 **Priority**: Append `p:N` where N is 1 (normal), 2 (medium), or 3 (high):
 
 ```bash