Make --version flag handling stateless and deduplicate version output

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
pelikhan · Sep 29, 2026 · Sep 29, 2026 · Sep 29, 2026 · Sep 29, 2026 · Sep 29, 2026
commit b2680c4565bc896e596d8377cdea6dc55ca26f84
diff --git a/cmd/gh-aw/main.go b/cmd/gh-aw/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"sort"
@@ -27,7 +28,11 @@ var (
 // Global flags
 var verboseFlag bool
 var bannerFlag bool
-var versionFlag bool
+
+// printVersion writes the CLI name and version string to the given writer.
+func printVersion(w io.Writer) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s version %s\n", string(constants.CLIExtensionPrefix), version)
+}
 
 // formatListWithOr formats a list of strings with commas and "or" before the last item
 // Example: ["a", "b", "c"] -> "a, b, or c"
@@ -104,8 +109,12 @@ For detailed help on any command, use:
 		}
 	},
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		if versionFlag {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s version %s\n", string(constants.CLIExtensionPrefix), version)
+		if versionFlag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("version"); versionFlag {
+			// Reset the flag's value immediately so repeated in-process
+			// executions (e.g. tests reusing rootCmd) don't keep printing
+			// the version after a run that didn't pass --version.
+			_ = cmd.Flags().Set("version", "false")
+			printVersion(os.Stdout)
 			return nil
 		}
 		return cmd.Help()
@@ -391,7 +400,7 @@ var versionCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long:    `Print the current version and build information for the gh aw CLI extension.`,
 	Example: `  ` + string(constants.CLIExtensionPrefix) + ` version   # Print the current version`,
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s version %s\n", string(constants.CLIExtensionPrefix), version)
+		printVersion(os.Stdout)
 		return nil
 	},
 }
@@ -700,7 +709,7 @@ func configureRootCommand() {
 	rootCmd.AddGroup(&cobra.Group{ID: "utilities", Title: "Utilities:"})
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&verboseFlag, "verbose", "v", false, "Enable verbose output showing detailed information")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&bannerFlag, "banner", false, "Display ASCII logo banner with purple GitHub color theme")
-	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&versionFlag, "version", false, "Print the current version")
+	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("version", false, "Print the current version")
 	rootCmd.SetOut(os.Stderr)
 	rootCmd.SilenceUsage = true
 	rootCmd.SilenceErrors = true

diff --git a/cmd/gh-aw/version_flag_test.go b/cmd/gh-aw/version_flag_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+//go:build !integration
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestRootVersionFlagIsStateless verifies that executing the root command with
+// --version does not leave state behind that causes a later execution without
+// --version to keep printing the version instead of help.
+func TestRootVersionFlagIsStateless(t *testing.T) {
+	captureStdout := func(fn func()) string {
+		originalStdout := os.Stdout
+		r, w, err := os.Pipe()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to create pipe: %v", err)
+		}
+		os.Stdout = w
+		defer func() { os.Stdout = originalStdout }()
+
+		fn()
+
+		if err := w.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to close pipe writer: %v", err)
+		}
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		if _, err := io.Copy(&buf, r); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to read pipe: %v", err)
+		}
+		return buf.String()
+	}
+
+	rootCmd.SetArgs([]string{"--version"})
+	firstOutput := captureStdout(func() {
+		if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("first execute (--version) returned error: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+	if !strings.Contains(firstOutput, "version") {
+		t.Errorf("expected first execution to print version, got: %q", firstOutput)
+	}
+
+	rootCmd.SetArgs([]string{})
+	secondOutput := captureStdout(func() {
+		if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("second execute (no args) returned error: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+	if strings.Contains(secondOutput, "version") {
+		t.Errorf("expected second execution to not print version (should show help), got: %q", secondOutput)
+	}
+}