vkconfig: Fix command line whitespace decoding

vkconfig_core/executable_manager.cpp

@@ -195,10 +195,14 @@ bool ExecutableManager::Load(const QJsonObject& json_root_object, ConfiguratorMo
             executable_options.label = json_options_object.value("label").toString().toStdString();
             executable_options.working_folder = json_options_object.value("working_folder").toString().toStdString();
 
+            std::vector<std::string> args;
             const QJsonArray& json_command_lines_array = json_options_object.value("arguments").toArray();
             for (int k = 0, p = json_command_lines_array.size(); k < p; ++k) {
-                executable_options.args.push_back(json_command_lines_array[k].toString().toStdString());
+                args.push_back(json_command_lines_array[k].toString().toStdString());
             }
+            // Workaround to resolved badly stored arguments when we were using SplitSpace instead of SplitArgs to fill the
+            // executable arguments option in the UI
+            executable_options.args = SplitArgs(Merge(args, " "));
 
             const QJsonArray& json_environment_variables_array = json_options_object.value("environment_variables").toArray();
             for (int k = 0, p = json_environment_variables_array.size(); k < p; ++k) {

vkconfig_core/test/test_command_line.cpp

@@ -876,6 +876,31 @@ TEST(test_command_line, usage_mode_settings_html_default_implicit_and_output) {
     EXPECT_EQ(HELP_DEFAULT, command_line.help);
 }
 
+TEST(test_command_line, usage_mode_settings_html_default_implicit_and_output_whitespace) {
+    static char* argv[] = {(char*)"vkconfig",   (char*)"settings",  // settings
+                           (char*)"--generate", (char*)"html",      // generate
+                           (char*)"--output",   (char*)"\"./my directory/my settings.html\""};
+    int argc = static_cast<int>(std::size(argv));
+
+    CommandLine command_line(argc, argv);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(COMMAND_SETTINGS, command_line.command);
+    EXPECT_EQ(COMMAND_RESET_SOFT, command_line.command_reset_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(COMMAND_LAYERS_NONE, command_line.command_layers_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(COMMAND_LOADER_NONE, command_line.command_loader_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(COMMAND_DOC_NONE, command_line.command_doc_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(GENERATE_SETTINGS_HTML, command_line.generate_settings_mode);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(command_line.selected_layers_name.empty());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("default", command_line.selected_configuration_name.c_str());
+    EXPECT_TRUE(command_line.GetInputPath().Empty());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("\"./my directory/my settings.html\"",
+                 ConvertStandardSeparators(command_line.GetOutputPath().RelativePath()).c_str());
+    EXPECT_EQ(false, command_line.dry_run);
+    EXPECT_EQ(ERROR_NONE, command_line.error);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(command_line.error_args.empty());
+    EXPECT_EQ(HELP_DEFAULT, command_line.help);
+}
+
 TEST(test_command_line, usage_mode_settings_html_default_explicit_and_output) {
     static char* argv[] = {(char*)"vkconfig",   (char*)"settings",       // settings
                            (char*)"--generate", (char*)"html",           // generate

vkconfig_core/test/test_util.cpp

@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ TEST(test_util, trim_surrounding_whitepace) {
     std::vector<std::string> strings;
     strings.push_back("-o profile.json");
     strings.push_back(" -o profile.json ");
-    strings.push_back("\"-o profile.json\"");
+    strings.push_back("\t-o profile.json\n");
 
     for (std::size_t i = 0, n = strings.size(); i < n; ++i) {
         std::string trimed_string = TrimSurroundingWhitespace(strings[i]);
@@ -144,6 +144,94 @@ TEST(test_util, trim_surrounding_whitepace) {
     }
 }
 
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA", split_arg[0].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_parem) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA value-A";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA value-A", split_arg[0].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_no_quote) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA value A";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA value A", split_arg[0].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_multiple_no_quote) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA value A --argB";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(2, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA value A", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argB", split_arg[1].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_quote_with_space) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA \"value A\"";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA \"value A\"", split_arg[0].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_quote_without_space) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA \"value-A\"";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA \"value-A\"", split_arg[0].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_quote_and_extra) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA \"value-A\" --argB";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(2, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA \"value-A\"", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argB", split_arg[1].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_command_quote_without_space) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "command --argA \"value-A\"";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(2, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("command", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA \"value-A\"", split_arg[1].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_single_with_command_double_quote_without_space) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "command area --argA \"value-A\"";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(3, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("command", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("area", split_arg[1].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA \"value-A\"", split_arg[2].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_multiple) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "--argA --argB valueB --argC \"value C\" --argD value D";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(4, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argA", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argB valueB", split_arg[1].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argC \"value C\"", split_arg[2].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--argD value D", split_arg[3].c_str());
+}
+
+TEST(test_util, split_args_multiple_mix) {
+    const std::string source_arg = "cargo run --example solari --features=\"bevy_solari https free_camera\"";
+    const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitArgs(source_arg);
+    EXPECT_EQ(4, split_arg.size());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("cargo", split_arg[0].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("run", split_arg[1].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--example solari", split_arg[2].c_str());
+    EXPECT_STREQ("--features=\"bevy_solari https free_camera\"", split_arg[3].c_str());
+}
+
 TEST(test_util, split_arg_default) {
     const std::string source_arg = "--argA --argB=valueB \"--argC=value C\" --argD=\"value D\"";
     const std::vector<std::string> split_arg = SplitSpace(source_arg);

vkconfig_core/util.cpp

@@ -214,6 +214,35 @@ std::vector<std::string> SplitSpace(const std::string& parse) {
     return split_result;
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> SplitArgs(const std::string& value) {
+    std::vector<std::string> space_splitted = SplitSpace(value);
+
+    std::vector<std::string> split_result;
+
+    bool previous_value_had_dash = false;
+    for (std::size_t i = 0, n = space_splitted.size(); i < n; ++i) {
+        std::string value = space_splitted[i];
+        if (value.empty()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (split_result.empty()) {
+            split_result.push_back(value);
+            previous_value_had_dash = value[0] == '-';
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (previous_value_had_dash && value[0] != '-') {
+            split_result[split_result.size() - 1] += " " + value;
+        } else {
+            split_result.push_back(value);
+            previous_value_had_dash = value[0] == '-';
+        }
+    }
+
+    return split_result;
+}
+
 std::string Merge(const std::vector<std::string>& value, const std::string& delimiter) {
     std::string result;
 

vkconfig_core/util.h

@@ -65,12 +65,14 @@ bool IsStringFound(const std::vector<std::string>& list, const std::string& valu
 
 std::string TrimString(const std::string& str, const std::string& whitespaces = " \t");
 
-std::string TrimSurroundingWhitespace(const std::string& str, const std::string& whitespaces = " \"\t\n\r");
+std::string TrimSurroundingWhitespace(const std::string& str, const std::string& whitespaces = " \t\n\r");
 
 std::vector<std::string> Split(const std::string& value, const std::string& delimiter);
 
 std::vector<std::string> SplitSpace(const std::string& value);
 
+std::vector<std::string> SplitArgs(const std::string& value);
+
 std::string Merge(const std::vector<std::string>& value, const std::string& delimiter);
 
 std::vector<std::string> ConvertString(const QStringList& string_list);

vkconfig_gui/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 - Improve generated layer settings C++ library to output to code for `vulkan.hpp`
 - Clean up generated layer settings C++ library for less friction on use
 
+### Fixes:
+- Fix command line whitespace decoding #2625
+
 ## Vulkan Configurator 3.4.2 - Febuary 2026
 [Vulkan SDK 1.4.341.0](https://github.com/LunarG/VulkanTools/tree/vulkan-sdk-1.4.341)
 
@@ -25,7 +28,7 @@
 - Add `settings --layers` command lines option to list multiple layer names when generating files
 - Add Validation and API Dump default configuration for interleaved log in stdout
 - Add diagnostic log refresh button
-- Add layer settings reset to default values button
+- Add layer settings reset to default values button #2573
 - Improved UI to set an external `vk_layer_settings.txt` file
 - Improved "View Enabled Layers" and "Configure All Layers" UI
 - Add buttons to open Vulkan SDK directories in diagnostics tab #2585

vkconfig_gui/tab_applications.cpp

@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ void TabApplications::on_launch_options_args_textEdited(const QString &text) {
     Executable *executable = configurator.executables.GetActiveExecutable();
     ExecutableOptions *options = executable->GetActiveOptions();
 
-    options->args = SplitSpace(text.toStdString());
+    options->args = SplitArgs(text.toStdString());
 }
 
 void TabApplications::on_launch_options_envs_textEdited(const QString &text) {