fix(cli): unify crewai run flow input resolution; prompt from state schema

`crewai run` resolved the configured [tool.crewai] flow, but `--inputs` was
hard-gated behind `--definition` and routed through a separate branch — the two
ways of pointing at the same flow didn't share resolution, and required inputs
were never detected, prompted, or validated (a missing field only blew up at
runtime).

Now inputs and definition come from one place:

- Remove the "--inputs requires --definition" gate (cli.py, run_crew.py,
  run_declarative_flow.py). `--inputs` alone resolves the configured flow,
  exactly like a bare `crewai run`; `--definition` is purely an override. The
  project-env re-exec forwards `--inputs` instead of rejecting it.
- Read the flow's state schema from the runtime Flow instance
  (`type(flow.state).model_json_schema()`), which is reliable for both inline
  `json_schema` and ref-imported `pydantic` state (the static definition's
  json_schema is None for the common ref case).
- Plain `crewai run` detects required state fields (minus those satisfied by
  state defaults) and prompts for them interactively, showing each field's
  description; skipped in non-interactive / CREWAI_DMN mode.
- Validate against the schema before kickoff: pointed
  "Missing required input 'x' — <description>" errors, and warn on unknown keys
  with a did-you-mean suggestion (catches typos like `prospect_emai`).

`--inputs` on a non-flow project now errors clearly ("only supported for
declarative flows") instead of the old confusing gate.

Tests: schema-driven prompt/validate/override paths, unknown-key warning,
defaults-satisfy-required, type validation, and re-exec input forwarding.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01RBYGqJHC2TMC6fonFziuuh

lib/cli/tests/test_cli.py

@@ -151,12 +151,14 @@ def test_run_with_definition_uses_project_runner(run_crew, runner):
 
 
 @mock.patch("crewai_cli.cli.run_crew")
-def test_run_rejects_inputs_without_definition(run_crew, runner):
+def test_run_inputs_without_definition_calls_run_crew(run_crew, runner):
+    # --inputs no longer requires --definition; the resolution happens in run_crew.
     result = runner.invoke(run, ["--inputs", '{"topic":"AI"}'])
 
-    assert result.exit_code == 2
-    assert "Error: --inputs requires --definition" in result.output
-    run_crew.assert_not_called()
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    run_crew.assert_called_once_with(
+        trained_agents_file=None, definition=None, inputs='{"topic":"AI"}'
+    )
 
 
 @mock.patch("crewai_cli.cli.run_crew")

lib/cli/tests/test_run_crew.py

@@ -682,11 +682,48 @@ def test_configured_project_json_crew_ignores_missing_pyproject(
     assert run_crew_module.configured_project_json_crew() is None
 
 
-def test_run_crew_rejects_inputs_without_definition():
+def test_run_crew_inputs_without_definition_rejected_for_non_flow(monkeypatch):
+    # --inputs is flow-only; in a non-flow project it now errors clearly instead
+    # of the old "--inputs requires --definition".
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_crew_module, "read_toml", lambda *a, **k: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_crew_module, "configured_project_json_crew", lambda *a, **k: None
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_crew_module, "_warn_if_old_poetry_project", lambda *a, **k: None
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_crew_module, "get_crewai_project_type", lambda *a, **k: "crew")
+
     with pytest.raises(click.UsageError) as exc_info:
         run_crew_module.run_crew(inputs='{"topic":"AI"}')
 
-    assert "--inputs requires --definition" in exc_info.value.message
+    assert "--inputs is only supported for declarative flows" in exc_info.value.message
+
+
+def test_run_crew_inputs_without_definition_resolves_configured_flow(monkeypatch):
+    # --inputs with no --definition resolves the configured [tool.crewai] flow,
+    # exactly like a bare `crewai run`, and forwards the inputs.
+    import crewai_cli.run_declarative_flow as rdf
+
+    calls: dict[str, object] = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_crew_module, "read_toml", lambda *a, **k: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_crew_module, "configured_project_json_crew", lambda *a, **k: None
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_crew_module, "_warn_if_old_poetry_project", lambda *a, **k: None
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_crew_module, "get_crewai_project_type", lambda *a, **k: "flow")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rdf, "configured_project_declarative_flow", lambda *a, **k: Path("flow.yaml")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rdf, "run_declarative_flow_in_project_env", lambda **kw: calls.update(kw)
+    )
+
+    run_crew_module.run_crew(inputs='{"topic":"AI"}')
+
+    assert calls == {"definition": Path("flow.yaml"), "inputs": '{"topic":"AI"}'}
 
 
 def test_run_crew_rejects_filename_with_explicit_definition():

lib/cli/tests/test_run_declarative_flow.py

@@ -146,3 +146,192 @@ def test_run_declarative_flow_in_process_inside_uv(
     )
 
     assert capsys.readouterr().out == "AI\n"
+
+
+def test_run_declarative_flow_in_project_env_forwards_inputs(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_path: Path
+) -> None:
+    subprocess_calls = []
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("UV_RUN_RECURSION_DEPTH", raising=False)
+    (tmp_path / "pyproject.toml").write_text("[project]\nname = 'demo'\n")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_declarative_flow_module,
+        "build_env_with_all_tool_credentials",
+        lambda: {},
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_declarative_flow_module.subprocess,
+        "run",
+        lambda command, **kwargs: subprocess_calls.append(command),
+    )
+
+    run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow_in_project_env(
+        "flow.yaml", '{"topic":"AI"}'
+    )
+
+    # --inputs is forwarded to the in-env run instead of being rejected.
+    assert subprocess_calls == [
+        ["uv", "run", "crewai", "run", "--inputs", '{"topic":"AI"}']
+    ]
+
+
+# ── Schema-driven inputs: prompt, validate, override ────────────────
+
+REQUIRED_FLOW_YAML = """\
+schema: crewai.flow/v1
+name: RequiredInputFlow
+config:
+  suppress_flow_events: true
+state:
+  type: json_schema
+  json_schema:
+    type: object
+    properties:
+      prospect_email:
+        type: string
+        description: Email address of the prospect to research
+    required: [prospect_email]
+methods:
+  begin:
+    start: true
+    do:
+      call: expression
+      expr: state.prospect_email
+"""
+
+DEFAULTS_FLOW_YAML = """\
+schema: crewai.flow/v1
+name: DefaultsFlow
+config:
+  suppress_flow_events: true
+state:
+  type: json_schema
+  json_schema:
+    type: object
+    properties:
+      topic: {type: string}
+      audience: {type: string}
+    required: [topic, audience]
+  default:
+    topic: AI
+methods:
+  begin:
+    start: true
+    do:
+      call: expression
+      expr: state.audience
+"""
+
+TYPED_FLOW_YAML = """\
+schema: crewai.flow/v1
+name: TypedFlow
+config:
+  suppress_flow_events: true
+state:
+  type: json_schema
+  json_schema:
+    type: object
+    properties:
+      count: {type: integer}
+    required: [count]
+methods:
+  begin:
+    start: true
+    do:
+      call: expression
+      expr: state.count
+"""
+
+
+def _write(tmp_path: Path, contents: str) -> Path:
+    path = tmp_path / "flow.yaml"
+    path.write_text(contents, encoding="utf-8")
+    return path
+
+
+def test_inputs_flag_satisfies_required_field(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]
+) -> None:
+    path = _write(tmp_path, REQUIRED_FLOW_YAML)
+
+    run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(
+        str(path), '{"prospect_email":"a@b.com"}'
+    )
+
+    assert capsys.readouterr().out == "a@b.com\n"
+
+
+def test_missing_required_reports_pointed_error(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str], monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_declarative_flow_module, "_is_interactive", lambda: False)
+    path = _write(tmp_path, REQUIRED_FLOW_YAML)
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(str(path))
+
+    assert (
+        "Missing required input 'prospect_email' — "
+        "Email address of the prospect to research" in capsys.readouterr().err
+    )
+
+
+def test_prompts_for_missing_required_when_interactive(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str], monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    path = _write(tmp_path, REQUIRED_FLOW_YAML)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_declarative_flow_module, "_is_interactive", lambda: True)
+    prompted: list[str] = []
+
+    def fake_prompt(text: str, **kwargs: object) -> str:
+        prompted.append(text)
+        return "typed@example.com"
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_declarative_flow_module.click, "prompt", fake_prompt)
+
+    run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(str(path))
+
+    assert capsys.readouterr().out == "typed@example.com\n"
+    assert any("prospect_email" in text for text in prompted)
+
+
+def test_defaults_satisfy_required_and_are_not_prompted(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str], monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(run_declarative_flow_module, "_is_interactive", lambda: False)
+    path = _write(tmp_path, DEFAULTS_FLOW_YAML)
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(str(path))
+
+    err = capsys.readouterr().err
+    # topic has a state default -> satisfied; only audience is missing.
+    assert "Missing required input 'audience'" in err
+    assert "'topic'" not in err
+
+
+def test_warns_on_unknown_input_with_suggestion(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]
+) -> None:
+    path = _write(tmp_path, REQUIRED_FLOW_YAML)
+
+    run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(
+        str(path), '{"prospect_email":"a@b.com","prospect_emai":"typo"}'
+    )
+
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert captured.out == "a@b.com\n"
+    assert "Ignoring unknown input 'prospect_emai'" in captured.err
+    assert "Did you mean 'prospect_email'?" in captured.err
+
+
+def test_validates_input_types_before_kickoff(
+    tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]
+) -> None:
+    path = _write(tmp_path, TYPED_FLOW_YAML)
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        run_declarative_flow_module.run_declarative_flow(str(path), '{"count":"nope"}')
+
+    assert "Invalid input 'count'" in capsys.readouterr().err