coder · sreya · Jul 20, 2022 · Jul 12, 2022 · Jul 13, 2022 · Jul 13, 2022
diff --git a/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go b/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go
@@ -17,9 +17,33 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
+// IsSetBool returns the value of the boolean flag if it is set.
+// It returns false if the flag isn't set or if any error occurs attempting
+// to parse the value of the flag.
+func IsSetBool(cmd *cobra.Command, name string) bool {
+	val, ok := IsSet(cmd, name)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	b, err := strconv.ParseBool(val)
+	return err == nil && b
+}
+
+// IsSet returns the string value of the flag and whether it was set.
+func IsSet(cmd *cobra.Command, name string) (string, bool) {
+	flag := cmd.Flag(name)
+	if flag == nil {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	return flag.Value.String(), flag.Changed
+}
+
 // String sets a string flag on the given flag set.
 func String(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, name, shorthand, env, def, usage string) {
 	v, ok := os.LookupEnv(env)
@@ -67,6 +91,22 @@ func Uint8VarP(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, ptr *uint8, name string, shorthand string
 	flagset.Uint8VarP(ptr, name, shorthand, uint8(vi64), fmtUsage(usage, env))
 }
 
+func Bool(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, name, shorthand, env string, def bool, usage string) {
+	val, ok := os.LookupEnv(env)
+	if !ok || val == "" {
+		flagset.BoolP(name, shorthand, def, fmtUsage(usage, env))
+		return
+	}
+
+	valb, err := strconv.ParseBool(val)
+	if err != nil {
+		flagset.BoolP(name, shorthand, def, fmtUsage(usage, env))
+		return
+	}
+
+	flagset.BoolP(name, shorthand, valb, fmtUsage(usage, env))
+}
+
 // BoolVarP sets a bool flag on the given flag set.
 func BoolVarP(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, ptr *bool, name string, shorthand string, env string, def bool, usage string) {
 	val, ok := os.LookupEnv(env)

diff --git a/cli/login.go b/cli/login.go
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ func login() *cobra.Command {
 			// on a very old client.
 			err = checkVersions(cmd, client)
 			if err != nil {
-				return xerrors.Errorf("check versions: %w", err)
+				// Checking versions isn't a fatal error so we print a warning
+				// and proceed.
+				_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(cmd.ErrOrStderr(), cliui.Styles.Warn.Render(err.Error()))
 			}
 
 			hasInitialUser, err := client.HasFirstUser(cmd.Context())

diff --git a/cli/root.go b/cli/root.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 	"time"
@@ -40,11 +39,12 @@ const (
 	varAgentURL        = "agent-url"
 	varGlobalConfig    = "global-config"
 	varNoOpen          = "no-open"
+	varNoVersionCheck  = "no-version-warning"
 	varForceTty        = "force-tty"
+	varVerbose         = "verbose"
 	notLoggedInMessage = "You are not logged in. Try logging in using 'coder login <url>'."
 
-	noVersionCheckFlag = "no-version-warning"
-	envNoVersionCheck  = "CODER_NO_VERSION_WARNING"
+	envNoVersionCheck = "CODER_NO_VERSION_WARNING"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -58,8 +58,6 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func Root() *cobra.Command {
-	var varSuppressVersion bool
-
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:           "coder",
 		SilenceErrors: true,
@@ -68,7 +66,7 @@ func Root() *cobra.Command {
 `,
 		PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			err := func() error {
-				if varSuppressVersion {
+				if cliflag.IsSetBool(cmd, varNoVersionCheck) {
 					return nil
 				}
 
@@ -141,7 +139,7 @@ func Root() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.SetUsageTemplate(usageTemplate())
 
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(varURL, "", "Specify the URL to your deployment.")
-	cliflag.BoolVarP(cmd.PersistentFlags(), &varSuppressVersion, noVersionCheckFlag, "", envNoVersionCheck, false, "Suppress warning when client and server versions do not match.")
+	cliflag.Bool(cmd.PersistentFlags(), varNoVersionCheck, "", envNoVersionCheck, false, "Suppress warning when client and server versions do not match.")
 	cliflag.String(cmd.PersistentFlags(), varToken, "", envSessionToken, "", fmt.Sprintf("Specify an authentication token. For security reasons setting %s is preferred.", envSessionToken))
 	cliflag.String(cmd.PersistentFlags(), varAgentToken, "", "CODER_AGENT_TOKEN", "", "Specify an agent authentication token.")
 	_ = cmd.PersistentFlags().MarkHidden(varAgentToken)
@@ -152,6 +150,7 @@ func Root() *cobra.Command {
 	_ = cmd.PersistentFlags().MarkHidden(varForceTty)
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Bool(varNoOpen, false, "Block automatically opening URLs in the browser.")
 	_ = cmd.PersistentFlags().MarkHidden(varNoOpen)
+	cliflag.Bool(cmd.PersistentFlags(), varVerbose, "v", "CODER_VERBOSE", false, "Enable verbose output")
 
 	return cmd
 }
@@ -427,12 +426,29 @@ func formatExamples(examples ...example) string {
 // FormatCobraError colorizes and adds "--help" docs to cobra commands.
 func FormatCobraError(err error, cmd *cobra.Command) string {
 	helpErrMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Run '%s --help' for usage.", cmd.CommandPath())
-	return cliui.Styles.Error.Render(err.Error() + "\n" + helpErrMsg)
+
+	var (
+		httpErr *codersdk.Error
+		output  strings.Builder
+	)
+
+	if xerrors.As(err, &httpErr) {
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(&output, httpErr.Friendly())
+	}
+
+	// If the httpErr is nil then we just have a regular error in which
+	// case we want to print out what's happening.
+	if httpErr == nil || cliflag.IsSetBool(cmd, varVerbose) {
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(&output, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	_, _ = fmt.Fprint(&output, helpErrMsg)
+
+	return cliui.Styles.Error.Render(output.String())
 }
 
 func checkVersions(cmd *cobra.Command, client *codersdk.Client) error {
-	flag := cmd.Flag("no-version-warning")
-	if suppress, _ := strconv.ParseBool(flag.Value.String()); suppress {
+	if cliflag.IsSetBool(cmd, varNoVersionCheck) {
 		return nil
 	}
 

diff --git a/cli/root_test.go b/cli/root_test.go
@@ -4,22 +4,115 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 
 	"github.com/coder/coder/buildinfo"
 	"github.com/coder/coder/cli"
 	"github.com/coder/coder/cli/clitest"
+	"github.com/coder/coder/codersdk"
 )
 
 func TestRoot(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("FormatCobraError", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		cmd, _ := clitest.New(t, "delete")
+		t.Run("OK", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
 
-		cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
-		errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
-		require.Contains(t, errStr, "Run 'coder delete --help' for usage.")
+			cmd, _ := clitest.New(t, "delete")
+
+			cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
+			errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
+			require.Contains(t, errStr, "Run 'coder delete --help' for usage.")
+		})
+
+		t.Run("Verbose", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			// Test that the verbose error is masked without verbose flag.
+			t.Run("NoVerboseAPIError", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+
+				cmd, _ := clitest.New(t)
+
+				cmd.RunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+					var err error = &codersdk.Error{
+						Response: codersdk.Response{
+							Message: "This is a message.",
+						},
+						Helper: "Try this instead.",
+					}
+
+					err = xerrors.Errorf("wrap me: %w", err)
+
+					return err
+				}
+
+				cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
+				errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
+				require.Contains(t, errStr, "This is a message. Try this instead.")
+				require.NotContains(t, errStr, err.Error())
+			})
+
+			// Assert that a regular error is not masked when verbose is not
+			// specified.
+			t.Run("NoVerboseRegularError", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+
+				cmd, _ := clitest.New(t)
+
+				cmd.RunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+					return xerrors.Errorf("this is a non-codersdk error: %w", xerrors.Errorf("a wrapped error"))
+				}
+
+				cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
+				errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
+				require.Contains(t, errStr, err.Error())
+			})
+
+			// Test that both the friendly error and the verbose error are
+			// displayed when verbose is passed.
+			t.Run("APIError", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+
+				cmd, _ := clitest.New(t, "--verbose")
+
+				cmd.RunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+					var err error = &codersdk.Error{
+						Response: codersdk.Response{
+							Message: "This is a message.",
+						},
+						Helper: "Try this instead.",
+					}
+
+					err = xerrors.Errorf("wrap me: %w", err)
+
+					return err
+				}
+
+				cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
+				errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
+				require.Contains(t, errStr, "This is a message. Try this instead.")
+				require.Contains(t, errStr, err.Error())
+			})
+
+			// Assert that a regular error is not masked when verbose specified.
+			t.Run("RegularError", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+
+				cmd, _ := clitest.New(t, "--verbose")
+
+				cmd.RunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+					return xerrors.Errorf("this is a non-codersdk error: %w", xerrors.Errorf("a wrapped error"))
+				}
+
+				cmd, err := cmd.ExecuteC()
+				errStr := cli.FormatCobraError(err, cmd)
+				require.Contains(t, errStr, err.Error())
+			})
+		})
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Version", func(t *testing.T) {

diff --git a/codersdk/client.go b/codersdk/client.go
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ func (e *Error) StatusCode() int {
 	return e.statusCode
 }
 
+func (e *Error) Friendly() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s. %s", strings.TrimSuffix(e.Message, "."), e.Helper)
+}
+
 func (e *Error) Error() string {
 	var builder strings.Builder
 	if e.method != "" && e.url != "" {