Skip to content

Invalid attribute value

The attribute is one the element accepts, but its value isn't. The handler reports it and falls back. Most of these are warnings; a couple are fatal because a wrong value would break the build rather than just look off.

What it looks like

::: {.vspace size="banana"}
:::

::: {.aside type="todo"}
A callout whose type is not one of the defined kinds.
:::

::: {.multicol cols="9"}
Text that was meant to flow across columns.
:::
WARN: vspace: unrecognized size 'banana' (in .vspace)
WARN: aside: unknown type 'todo' (in .aside "A callout whose type is not one of the d…")
WARN: multicol: invalid cols '9' (must be an integer from 2 to 4) (in .multicol "Text that was meant to flow across colum…")

What it means

Each handler validates its own inputs and, on a bad value, drops back to a safe default (or drops the element) so a lenient build still produces a book. The message names the handler, the field, and — where the set is small — the accepted values.

How to fix

Look the shortcut up in the system shortcut reference — each entry lists the values its attributes accept — and replace the value with one it allows. For your own shortcuts, the accepted values are whatever the shortcut's interface defines.