fix(projects): report create failures in V1's words and refuse what the API would reject

Only a taken name was reported the way V1 did. Every other create failure
surfaced as a bare "Error:" line, while V1 opened each with "New project
creation failed!" and named the cause beneath it - "Launch project limit
reached!", its 1KB-100MB file-size message, or the error's own text. Report
them all that way, keeping each failure's exit code, and reword the create
codes the CLI did not map: CREATE_FAILED, NAME.TOO_LONG, an expired upload,
and a failed signed-URL request.

A zip under 1KB was uploaded only for the storage provider to refuse it with
a bare HTTP status. Every provider enforces management-service's 1KB-100MB
range, so check the floor before uploading, as the ceiling already was.

Names typed at the create prompts skipped the 200-character limit the flags
enforce. Check it inside the prompt, as projects:update does, so a long name
is answered again rather than failing the command after the upload.

#claude_code#
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: Harshi-Shah-CS

src/projects/project.create.prompt.ts

@@ -22,8 +22,22 @@ function chosen(value: unknown): string {
   return String(value);
 }
 
-export async function askText(ux: UxLike, message: string, initial?: string): Promise<string> {
-  return chosen(await ux.inquire<string | undefined>({ type: 'input', name: 'value', message, default: initial }));
+export function checkLength(label: string, value: string, max: number): true | string {
+  const length = value.trim().length;
+
+  return length > max ? `${label} must be ${max} characters or fewer; that value is ${length} characters.` : true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A `max` is checked inside the prompt, the way projects:update checks its fields, so a value that is
+ * too long is answered again on the spot rather than failing the command after the upload.
+ */
+export async function askText(ux: UxLike, message: string, initial?: string, max?: number): Promise<string> {
+  const validate = max === undefined ? undefined : (value: string) => checkLength(message, value, max);
+
+  return chosen(
+    await ux.inquire<string | undefined>({ type: 'input', name: 'value', message, default: initial, validate }),
+  );
 }
 
 export async function askOptionalText(ux: UxLike, message: string, initial?: string): Promise<string | undefined> {

src/projects/project.create.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import AdmZip from 'adm-zip';
+import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto';
 import { cliux } from '@contentstack/cli-utilities';
 import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
@@ -13,7 +14,12 @@ import { ApiErrorEntry, LaunchApiError } from '../transport/errors';
 import { GitConnectionMissingError } from '../git/git.errors';
 import { ApiSurface } from '../resources';
 import { CreateRequest, ProjectCreator, UPLOAD_PROGRESS_LABEL } from './project.create';
-import { DuplicateProjectNameError, PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES, UploadFailedError } from './project.errors';
+import {
+  DuplicateProjectNameError,
+  PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES,
+  ProjectCreateFailedError,
+  UploadFailedError,
+} from './project.errors';
 
 jest.mock('./project.upload', () => ({
   ...jest.requireActual('./project.upload'),
@@ -23,6 +29,9 @@ jest.mock('./project.upload', () => ({
 import * as archiveModule from './project.archive';
 import { MAX_UPLOAD_BYTES, UploadOptions, uploadArchive } from './project.upload';
 
+// Random, so it zips past the 1 KB Launch's storage providers accept as the smallest upload.
+const SITE_PAGE = `<h1>site</h1><!-- ${randomBytes(2048).toString('hex')} -->`;
+
 function fakeProgressBars() {
   const built: Record<string, unknown>[] = [];
   const calls: string[] = [];
@@ -324,7 +333,7 @@ function bodyOf(created: unknown[]): Record<string, unknown> {
 describe('ProjectCreator on the GitHub path', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     cloneOf('my-org/my-repo');
   });
 
@@ -622,7 +631,7 @@ describe('ProjectCreator on the GitHub path', () => {
 describe('ProjectCreator prompting order and refusals', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     cloneOf('my-org/my-repo');
   });
 
@@ -837,7 +846,7 @@ describe('ProjectCreator prompting order and refusals', () => {
 describe('ProjectCreator on the FileUpload path', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockClear();
     (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockImplementation(async () => undefined);
   });
@@ -1024,6 +1033,19 @@ describe('ProjectCreator on the FileUpload path', () => {
     expect(asked).toEqual(['Choose a project type to proceed']);
   });
 
+  it('refuses a folder that zips under 1 KB before asking for an upload url, rather than being refused by storage', async () => {
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    const { creator, calls, created } = harness();
+
+    const failure = await creator.create(uploadRequest()).catch((error: Error) => error);
+
+    expect(failure).toBeInstanceOf(UsageError);
+    expect((failure as Error).message).toContain('under the 1 KB Launch accepts for a file upload');
+    expect(calls.signedUploadUrl).toEqual([]);
+    expect(uploadArchive).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(created).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   it('leaves a --config file that lives inside the data dir out of the upload', async () => {
     const configPath = join(dataDir, 'launch.json');
     writeFileSync(configPath, JSON.stringify({ project: { organizationUid: ORG } }));
@@ -1163,7 +1185,7 @@ describe('ProjectCreator on the FileUpload path', () => {
 describe('ProjectCreator waiting on the first deployment', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     cloneOf('my-org/my-repo');
   });
 
@@ -1393,20 +1415,27 @@ describe('ProjectCreator waiting on the first deployment', () => {
     expect((failure as Error).message).not.toContain('undefined');
   });
 
-  it('propagates a create failure without waiting on anything', async () => {
-    const boom = new UsageError('A project with that name already exists in this organization.');
-    const { creator, printed } = harness({ createFails: boom });
+  it('reports a create failure under V1\'s header without waiting on anything', async () => {
+    const boom = new UsageError('Project name contains characters that are not allowed.');
+    const { creator, printed, calls } = harness({ createFails: boom });
 
-    await expect(creator.create(gitRequest())).rejects.toBe(boom);
-    expect(printed).toEqual([]);
+    const failure = await creator.create(gitRequest()).catch((error: Error) => error);
+
+    expect(failure).toBeInstanceOf(ProjectCreateFailedError);
+    expect((failure as ProjectCreateFailedError).exitCode).toBe(2);
+    expect(printed).toEqual([
+      'error: New project creation failed!',
+      'error: Project name contains characters that are not allowed.',
+    ]);
+    expect(calls.environments).toEqual([]);
   });
 });
 
 describe('ProjectCreator writing the project config', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockImplementation(async () => undefined);
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     cloneOf('my-org/my-repo');
   });
 
@@ -1512,13 +1541,41 @@ describe('ProjectCreator writing the project config', () => {
 
 });
 
+describe('ProjectCreator name prompts', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
+    (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockClear();
+    (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockImplementation(async () => undefined);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    rmSync(dataDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ['Project name', 200],
+    ['Environment name', 200],
+  ])('checks a typed %s against its %i-character limit inside the prompt', async (message, max) => {
+    const { creator, asked, askedPayloads } = harness({ isTTY: true, answers: ['My Site', 'Default'] });
+
+    await creator.create(uploadRequest({ name: undefined, envName: undefined, serverCmd: 'npm start' }));
+
+    const validate = askedPayloads[asked.indexOf(message)].validate as (value: string) => true | string;
+    expect(validate('x'.repeat(max))).toBe(true);
+    expect(validate('x'.repeat(max + 1))).toBe(
+      `${message} must be ${max} characters or fewer; that value is ${max + 1} characters.`,
+    );
+  });
+});
+
 describe('ProjectCreator when the project name is already taken', () => {
   const duplicate = (): LaunchApiError =>
     new LaunchApiError(409, [{ code: 'launch.PROJECT.DUPLICATE_NAME' }], PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES);
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     dataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'launch-create-'));
-    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>site</h1>');
+    writeFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.html'), SITE_PAGE);
     (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockClear();
     (uploadArchive as jest.Mock).mockImplementation(async () => undefined);
   });
@@ -1599,18 +1656,18 @@ describe('ProjectCreator when the project name is already taken', () => {
     expect(created).toHaveLength(4);
   });
 
-  it('refuses a new name over the length limit', async () => {
-    const { creator, created } = harness({
+  it('checks a new name against the length limit inside the prompt, so the user can fix it there', async () => {
+    const { creator, askedPayloads } = harness({
       isTTY: true,
       createFailures: [duplicate()],
-      answers: [true, 'x'.repeat(201)],
+      answers: [true, 'My Site 2'],
     });
 
-    const failure = await creator.create(terminalRequest()).catch((error: Error) => error);
+    await creator.create(terminalRequest());
 
-    expect(failure).toBeInstanceOf(UsageError);
-    expect((failure as Error).message).toBe('--name must be 200 characters or fewer; that value is 201 characters.');
-    expect(created).toHaveLength(1);
+    const validate = askedPayloads[1].validate as (value: string) => true | string;
+    expect(validate('x'.repeat(200))).toBe(true);
+    expect(validate('x'.repeat(201))).toBe('Project name must be 200 characters or fewer; that value is 201 characters.');
   });
 
   it('colours the error lines red and the rename hint green only when stdout is a terminal', async () => {
@@ -1625,11 +1682,50 @@ describe('ProjectCreator when the project name is already taken', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('lets any other create failure through untouched', async () => {
+  it.each([
+    ['launch.PROJECT.LIMIT_REACHED', 'error: Launch project limit reached!'],
+    ['launch.DEPLOYMENT.INVALID_FILE_SIZE', 'error: Please use a file over the size of 1KB and under the size of 100MB.'],
+    ['launch.DEPLOYMENT.FILE_UPLOAD_FAILED', 'error: Please use a file over the size of 1KB and under the size of 100MB.'],
+    ['launch.PROJECT.CREATE_FAILED', 'error: The Launch API could not create that project.'],
+  ])('reports %s under V1\'s header in V1\'s words, exiting 1 without prompting', async (code, cause) => {
+    const boom = new LaunchApiError(422, [{ code }], PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES);
+    const { creator, asked, printed } = harness({ isTTY: true, createFailures: [boom] });
+
+    const failure = await creator.create(terminalRequest()).catch((error: Error) => error);
+
+    expect(failure).toBeInstanceOf(ProjectCreateFailedError);
+    expect((failure as ProjectCreateFailedError).exitCode).toBe(1);
+    expect((failure as ProjectCreateFailedError).reported).toBe(true);
+    expect(printed.slice(-2)).toEqual(['error: New project creation failed!', cause]);
+    expect(asked.filter((question) => String(question).includes('change the project'))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a failure carrying only a message by that message', async () => {
+    const boom = new LaunchApiError(500, [{ message: 'Something went wrong.' }], PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES);
+    const { creator, printed } = harness({ createFailures: [boom] });
+
+    await creator.create(uploadRequest()).catch(() => undefined);
+
+    expect(printed.slice(-2)).toEqual(['error: New project creation failed!', 'error: Something went wrong.']);
+  });
+
+  it('colours a reported create failure red only when stdout is a terminal', async () => {
     const boom = new LaunchApiError(422, [{ code: 'launch.PROJECT.LIMIT_REACHED' }], PROJECT_ERROR_MESSAGES);
-    const { creator, asked } = harness({ isTTY: true, createFailures: [boom] });
+    const { creator, printed } = harness({ outputIsTTY: true, createFailures: [boom] });
 
-    await expect(creator.create(terminalRequest())).rejects.toBe(boom);
-    expect(asked).toEqual([]);
+    await creator.create(uploadRequest()).catch(() => undefined);
+
+    expect(printed.slice(-2)).toEqual([
+      '\u001b[31merror: New project creation failed!\u001b[39m',
+      '\u001b[31merror: Launch project limit reached!\u001b[39m',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('lets a failure that is not a Launch error through untouched, unreported', async () => {
+    const boom = new Error('a bug, not a Launch failure');
+    const { creator, printed } = harness({ createFailures: [boom] });
+
+    await expect(creator.create(uploadRequest())).rejects.toBe(boom);
+    expect(printed).not.toContain('error: New project creation failed!');
   });
 });

src/projects/project.create.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { MissingInputError, UsageError } from '../core/errors';
+import { LaunchError, MissingInputError, UsageError } from '../core/errors';
 import { ProjectConfig, ProjectConfigStore } from '../core/project-config';
 import { requireValueOf } from '../core/rules';
 import type { ServiceContext } from '../core/service-context';
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { deploymentUrlOf } from '../deployments/deployment.presenter';
 import { WatchTiming, watchDeployment } from '../deployments/deployment.watcher';
 import type { Deployment } from '../deployments/types';
 import {
+  ENVIRONMENT_NAME_MAX_LENGTH,
   FRAMEWORK_CHOICES,
   FRAMEWORK_PRESET_BY_LABEL,
   OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_BY_FRAMEWORK,
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ import { gitConnectionLines } from '../git/git.presenter';
 import { detectGitHubRepository, LocalGitHubRepository } from '../git/local-repository';
 import { GIT_PROVIDER_GITHUB, GitRepository } from '../git/types';
 import { connectedAccountsUrl } from '../core/region';
-import { withinLength } from '../core/values';
 import { LaunchApiError } from '../transport/errors';
 import { archiveDirectory } from './project.archive';
 import {
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ import {
   RENAME_PROJECT_QUESTION,
   deploymentFailureMessage,
   deploymentUrlLine,
-  duplicateProjectNameLines,
+  createFailureCauseLine,
+  duplicateProjectNameLine,
   gitOnlyFlagLine,
+  projectCreationFailedLine,
   renameAndRerunLine,
   renameRetryLimitLine,
 } from './project.presenter';
@@ -56,8 +58,8 @@ import {
   askProjectType,
   projectTypeChoiceOf,
 } from './project.inputs';
-import { DuplicateProjectNameError } from './project.errors';
-import { refuseOversizedArchive, uploadArchive } from './project.upload';
+import { DuplicateProjectNameError, ProjectCreateFailedError } from './project.errors';
+import { refuseArchiveOutsideLimits, uploadArchive } from './project.upload';
 import type { CreateProjectInput, DetectedFramework, IdentifiedProject, SignedUploadUrl } from './types';
 
 export { DEPLOYMENT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS, defaultWatchTiming } from '../deployments/deployment.watcher';
@@ -146,9 +148,11 @@ export class ProjectCreator {
     this.warnGitFlagsOffGitHub(request, choice);
     const autoDeploy = choice === 'GitHub' ? request.autoDeploy : undefined;
     const upload = choice === 'GitHub' ? undefined : await this.selectUploadSource(request);
-    const name = await this.need('name', request.name, () => askText(this.services.ux, 'Project name'));
+    const name = await this.need('name', request.name, () =>
+      askText(this.services.ux, 'Project name', undefined, PROJECT_NAME_MAX_LENGTH),
+    );
     const envName = await this.need('env-name', request.envName, () =>
-      askText(this.services.ux, 'Environment name', DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_NAME),
+      askText(this.services.ux, 'Environment name', DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_NAME, ENVIRONMENT_NAME_MAX_LENGTH),
     );
     const source = upload ?? (await this.selectGitSource(request));
     const framework = await this.selectFramework(request, source.detected);
@@ -215,16 +219,21 @@ export class ProjectCreator {
     try {
       return await this.services.api.projects.create({ org, input });
     } catch (error) {
-      if (!(error instanceof LaunchApiError) || error.code !== DUPLICATE_PROJECT_NAME_CODE) {
+      if (!(error instanceof LaunchError)) {
         throw error;
       }
 
       const colour = this.services.outputIsTTY === true;
 
-      for (const line of duplicateProjectNameLines(colour)) {
-        this.services.ux.print(line);
+      this.services.ux.print(projectCreationFailedLine(colour));
+
+      if (!(error instanceof LaunchApiError) || error.code !== DUPLICATE_PROJECT_NAME_CODE) {
+        this.services.ux.print(createFailureCauseLine(error, colour));
+        throw new ProjectCreateFailedError(error);
       }
 
+      this.services.ux.print(duplicateProjectNameLine(colour));
+
       if (this.services.isTTY) {
         return this.askToRename(org, input, renames, colour);
       }
@@ -256,7 +265,7 @@ export class ProjectCreator {
       throw new DuplicateProjectNameError();
     }
 
-    const name = await withinLength('name', await askText(this.services.ux, 'Project name'), PROJECT_NAME_MAX_LENGTH);
+    const name = await askText(this.services.ux, 'Project name', undefined, PROJECT_NAME_MAX_LENGTH);
 
     return this.createProject(org, { ...input, name }, renames + 1);
   }
@@ -482,7 +491,7 @@ export class ProjectCreator {
   private async selectUploadSource(request: CreateRequest): Promise<SourceSelection> {
     this.services.ux.print(PREPARING_ARCHIVE);
     const archive = archiveDirectory(request.dataDir, [request.configPath]);
-    refuseOversizedArchive(archive.buffer.length);
+    refuseArchiveOutsideLimits(archive.buffer.length);
 
     if (archive.skippedLinks.length > 0) {
       this.services.ux.print(