TypeError: Path must be a string. Received null

[ghost]

Description

ava nor ava --init nor ava --version is working.
The project has no config at all and no node_modules.
ava is installed globaly

Error Message & Stack Trace

d:\repositories\git\crmintern\Testing_Ground>ava --version                                                                                                                             
path.js:7                                                                                                                                                                              
    throw new TypeError('Path must be a string. Received ' + inspect(path));                                                                                                           
    ^                                                                                                                                                                                  

TypeError: Path must be a string. Received null                                                                                                                                        
    at assertPath (path.js:7:11)                                                                                                                                                       
    at Object.dirname (path.js:697:5)                                                                                                                                                  
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\stefan.schneider\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\ava\cli.js:43:19)                                                                                
    at Module._compile (module.js:556:32)                                                                                                                                              
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:565:10)                                                                                                                                
    at Module.load (module.js:473:32)                                                                                                                                                  
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:432:12)                                                                                                                                                
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:424:3)                                                                                                                                         
    at Module.runMain (module.js:590:10)                                                                                                                                               
    at run (bootstrap_node.js:394:7)                                                                                                                                                   
    at startup (bootstrap_node.js:149:9)                                                                                                                                               
    at bootstrap_node.js:509:3  

Command-Line Arguments

Copy your npm build scripts or the ava command used:

ava --version

Environment

Tell us which operating system you are using, as well as which versions of Node.js, npm, and AVA. Run the following to get it quickly:

node: v6.6.0
ava: v0.16.0
npm: 3.10.8
VSCode Version: Code 1.5.2 (66f37fd2a99eb9d628dd374d81d78835b410c39b, 2016-09-12T13:30:03.456Z)
OS Version: Windows_NT ia32 10.0.10586

[novemberborn]

That's this line:

var pkgDir = path.dirname(pkgConf.filepath(conf));

That changed in #925. Looks like AVA now won't start without a package.json present. We use that file (or rather the directory it's in) to figure out various paths. I suggest that without it we just use the current working directory.

[ghost]

okay, package.json needs to be around AND it must be a valid JSON as well so an empty file doesn't fit.

[sotojuan]

Changing the line to this:

var pkgDir;

try {
  pkgDir = path.dirname(pkgConf.filepath(conf));
} catch (error) {
  pkgDir = process.cwd();
}

Fixed the issue for me. Good for a PR?

[ghost]

Would be good if a package.json would be created in the cwd if it is not there

[novemberborn]

Would be good if a package.json would be created in the cwd if it is not there

I'd say that's up to you. ava init should just add to the existing package, not create a new one.