# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Validate required args in file and todo tools

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and fixes address missing or empty argument validation across file tools (read_file, write_file) and the todo tool, where absent or empty inputs were silently accepted and produced corrupt or zero-byte output. The changes add upfront rejection of invalid arguments instead of silent substitution or misleading errors.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #133864. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #133864 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-133864`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.50`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #44496: todo_tool: silent substitution of '(no description)' for empty content corrupts todo list

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#133864: fix(todo): reject empty content instead of substituting '(no description)'**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_todo_tool.py`, `tools/todo_tool.py`
- **#44498: fix(todo): reject empty content instead of substituting (no description) (#44496)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`
- **#83712: fix(todo): reject empty content instead of silent placeholder**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#44498`, `#44496`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #133864 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-10-06`.
- Subsystem: `agent`