From cb4b2d3cf64e62a9ba03ec7ed5a00809c80da2ee Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: kovan <xaum.io@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:15:54 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] doc,test: clarify --eval syntax for leading '-' scripts

If the script passed to --eval starts with a hyphen, the CLI parser
treats it as another option flag. Document the --eval=<script> form
as the workaround and add tests for --eval=-42, --eval=-0, and the
-e -p missing-argument error.

Refs: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/43397
Continues the work from #61962
---
 doc/api/cli.md                 |  3 +++
 test/parallel/test-cli-eval.js | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 23 insertions(+)

diff --git a/doc/api/cli.md b/doc/api/cli.md
index 9105c77da832c1..b1a0d674ca4ded 100644
--- a/doc/api/cli.md
+++ b/doc/api/cli.md
@@ -997,6 +997,9 @@ changes:
 Evaluate the following argument as JavaScript. The modules which are
 predefined in the REPL can also be used in `script`.
 
+If `script` starts with `-`, pass it using `=` (for example,
+`node --print --eval=-42`) so it is parsed as the value of `--eval`.
+
 On Windows, using `cmd.exe` a single quote will not work correctly because it
 only recognizes double `"` for quoting. In Powershell or Git bash, both `'`
 and `"` are usable.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-cli-eval.js b/test/parallel/test-cli-eval.js
index 2e5b3dc5992abc..5b090279621f37 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-cli-eval.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-cli-eval.js
@@ -115,6 +115,26 @@ child.exec(...common.escapePOSIXShell`"${process.execPath}" -p "\\-42"`, common.
   assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
 }));
 
+// Eval expressions that start with '-' can be passed with '='.
+child.exec(...common.escapePOSIXShell`"${process.execPath}" --print --eval=-42`, common.mustSucceed((stdout, stderr) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(stdout, '-42\n');
+  assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
+}));
+
+// Edge case: negative zero should preserve its sign when printed.
+child.exec(...common.escapePOSIXShell`"${process.execPath}" --print --eval=-0`, common.mustSucceed((stdout, stderr) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(stdout, '-0\n');
+  assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
+}));
+
+// Nearby-path safety: option-looking values should still be rejected with -e.
+child.exec(...common.escapePOSIXShell`"${process.execPath}" -e -p`, common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(err.code, 9);
+  assert.strictEqual(stdout, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(stderr.trim(),
+                     `${process.execPath}: -e requires an argument`);
+}));
+
 // Long output should not be truncated.
 child.exec(...common.escapePOSIXShell`"${process.execPath}" -p "'1'.repeat(1e5)"`, common.mustSucceed((stdout, stderr) => {
   assert.strictEqual(stdout, `${'1'.repeat(1e5)}\n`);