refactor: Remove unlinked bytecode mode

crates/plotnik-cli/src/commands/dump.rs

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use plotnik_lib::Colors;
 use plotnik_lib::QueryBuilder;
 use plotnik_lib::bytecode::{Module, dump};
 
-use super::lang_resolver::{resolve_lang, resolve_lang_required, suggest_language};
+use super::lang_resolver::require_lang;
 use super::query_loader::load_query_source;
 
 pub struct DumpArgs {
@@ -38,49 +38,19 @@ pub fn run(args: DumpArgs) {
         }
     };
 
-    // Resolve language (optional - enables linking)
-    let lang = if let Some(lang_name) = &args.lang {
-        match resolve_lang_required(lang_name) {
-            Ok(l) => Some(l),
-            Err(msg) => {
-                eprintln!("error: {}", msg);
-                if let Some(suggestion) = suggest_language(lang_name) {
-                    eprintln!();
-                    eprintln!("Did you mean '{}'?", suggestion);
-                }
-                eprintln!();
-                eprintln!("Run 'plotnik langs' for the full list.");
-                std::process::exit(1);
-            }
-        }
-    } else {
-        resolve_lang(None, args.query_path.as_deref())
-    };
+    let lang = require_lang(args.lang.as_deref(), args.query_path.as_deref(), "dump");
 
-    let bytecode = if let Some(lang) = lang {
-        let linked = query.link(&lang);
-        if !linked.is_valid() {
-            eprint!(
-                "{}",
-                linked
-                    .diagnostics()
-                    .render_colored(linked.source_map(), args.color)
-            );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        }
-        linked.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed")
-    } else {
-        if !query.is_valid() {
-            eprint!(
-                "{}",
-                query
-                    .diagnostics()
-                    .render_colored(query.source_map(), args.color)
-            );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        }
-        query.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed")
-    };
+    let linked = query.link(&lang);
+    if !linked.is_valid() {
+        eprint!(
+            "{}",
+            linked
+                .diagnostics()
+                .render_colored(linked.source_map(), args.color)
+        );
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+    let bytecode = linked.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed");
 
     let module = Module::load(&bytecode).expect("module loading failed");
     let colors = Colors::new(args.color);

crates/plotnik-cli/src/commands/infer.rs

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use plotnik_lib::QueryBuilder;
 use plotnik_lib::bytecode::Module;
 use plotnik_lib::typegen::typescript;
 
-use super::lang_resolver::{resolve_lang, resolve_lang_required, suggest_language};
+use super::lang_resolver::require_lang;
 use super::query_loader::load_query_source;
 
 pub struct InferArgs {
@@ -53,49 +53,19 @@ pub fn run(args: InferArgs) {
         }
     };
 
-    // Resolve language (optional - enables linking)
-    let lang = if let Some(lang_name) = &args.lang {
-        match resolve_lang_required(lang_name) {
-            Ok(l) => Some(l),
-            Err(msg) => {
-                eprintln!("error: {}", msg);
-                if let Some(suggestion) = suggest_language(lang_name) {
-                    eprintln!();
-                    eprintln!("Did you mean '{}'?", suggestion);
-                }
-                eprintln!();
-                eprintln!("Run 'plotnik langs' for the full list.");
-                std::process::exit(1);
-            }
-        }
-    } else {
-        resolve_lang(None, args.query_path.as_deref())
-    };
+    let lang = require_lang(args.lang.as_deref(), args.query_path.as_deref(), "infer");
 
-    let bytecode = if let Some(lang) = lang {
-        let linked = query.link(&lang);
-        if !linked.is_valid() {
-            eprint!(
-                "{}",
-                linked
-                    .diagnostics()
-                    .render_colored(linked.source_map(), args.color)
-            );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        }
-        linked.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed")
-    } else {
-        if !query.is_valid() {
-            eprint!(
-                "{}",
-                query
-                    .diagnostics()
-                    .render_colored(query.source_map(), args.color)
-            );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        }
-        query.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed")
-    };
+    let linked = query.link(&lang);
+    if !linked.is_valid() {
+        eprint!(
+            "{}",
+            linked
+                .diagnostics()
+                .render_colored(linked.source_map(), args.color)
+        );
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+    let bytecode = linked.emit().expect("bytecode emission failed");
     let module = Module::load(&bytecode).expect("module loading failed");
 
     // Emit TypeScript types

crates/plotnik-cli/src/commands/lang_resolver.rs

@@ -28,6 +28,40 @@ pub fn resolve_lang_required(lang_name: &str) -> Result<Lang, String> {
     plotnik_langs::from_name(lang_name).ok_or_else(|| format!("unknown language: '{}'", lang_name))
 }
 
+/// Resolve language with user-friendly error handling.
+/// Tries explicit flag first, then infers from query path.
+/// Exits with error message if language cannot be determined.
+pub fn require_lang(
+    explicit: Option<&str>,
+    query_path: Option<&std::path::Path>,
+    command: &str,
+) -> Lang {
+    if let Some(lang_name) = explicit {
+        match resolve_lang_required(lang_name) {
+            Ok(l) => return l,
+            Err(msg) => {
+                eprintln!("error: {}", msg);
+                if let Some(suggestion) = suggest_language(lang_name) {
+                    eprintln!();
+                    eprintln!("Did you mean '{}'?", suggestion);
+                }
+                eprintln!();
+                eprintln!("Run 'plotnik langs' for the full list.");
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if let Some(l) = resolve_lang(None, query_path) {
+        return l;
+    }
+
+    eprintln!("error: language is required for {}", command);
+    eprintln!();
+    eprintln!("hint: use -l <language> to specify the target language");
+    std::process::exit(1);
+}
+
 /// Suggest similar language names for typos.
 pub fn suggest_language(input: &str) -> Option<String> {
     let input_lower = input.to_lowercase();

crates/plotnik-cli/src/commands/run_common.rs

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use arborium_tree_sitter as tree_sitter;
 use plotnik_langs::Lang;
 use plotnik_lib::QueryBuilder;
 use plotnik_lib::bytecode::{Entrypoint, Module};
-use plotnik_lib::emit::emit_linked;
+use plotnik_lib::emit::emit;
 
 use super::lang_resolver::{resolve_lang_required, suggest_language};
 use super::query_loader::load_query_source;
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ pub fn prepare_query(input: QueryInput) -> PreparedQuery {
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
 
-    let bytecode = emit_linked(&query).expect("emit failed");
+    let bytecode = emit(&query).expect("emit failed");
     let module = Module::load(&bytecode).expect("module load failed");
 
     let entrypoint = resolve_entrypoint(&module, input.entry);