fix: separate message parts with a colon

scripts/common.py

@@ -1499,7 +1499,7 @@ def select_emulator_profiles(
             )
         if kind == "launcher":
             raise ProfileSelectionError(
-                f"{name} is a launcher -use the emulator it launches"
+                f"{name} is a launcher: use the emulator it launches"
             )
         if standalone and "standalone" not in kind:
             raise ProfileSelectionError(

scripts/generate_pack.py

@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ def _data_directory_members(
             local_path = entry.get("local_cache", "")
             if not local_path or not os.path.isdir(local_path):
                 print(
-                    f"  WARNING: data directory '{ref_key}' not cached at {local_path} -run refresh_data_dirs.py"
+                    f"  WARNING: data directory '{ref_key}' not cached at {local_path} (run refresh_data_dirs.py)"
                 )
                 _MISSING_DATA_DIRS.add(ref_key)
                 continue
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ def generate_pack(
               validation_owners,
           )
           if disagreement:
-              core_discrepancies.append(f"{full_dest} -{disagreement}")
+              core_discrepancies.append(f"{full_dest}: {disagreement}")
           if status == "hash_mismatch" and not _matches_an_alternative(
               fe, local_path, emu_profiles or {}
           ):
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ def generate_pack(
               # file_status tracks platform declarations only, so the report
               # goes to its own list and never moves the pack's own count.
               core_discrepancies.append(
-                  f"{full_dest} -declared hash of "
+                  f"{full_dest}: declared hash of "
                   f"{fe.get('source_profile') or fe.get('source_emulator', 'core profile')}"
                   " does not match the packed copy"
               )
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ def generate_pack(
             label = "MISSING"
         else:
             label = "DISCREPANCY"
-        print(f"  {label}: {key} -{reason}")
+        print(f"  {label}: {key}: {reason}")
     for name in missing_files:
         print(f"  MISSING: {name}")
     for note in sorted(core_discrepancies):
@@ -1500,7 +1500,7 @@ def generate_emulator_pack(
                     )
                     if disagreement:
                         reason = disagreement.split(" says ", 1)[-1]
-                        refusal = refusal or f"{fe['name']} -{reason}"
+                        refusal = refusal or f"{fe['name']}: {reason}"
                         refused_path = refused_path or local_path
                         continue
                     if better != local_path:
@@ -1560,7 +1560,7 @@ def generate_emulator_pack(
                     continue
                 if how == "mismatch":
                     discrepancies.append(
-                        f"{fe['name']} -not the dump the {emu_name} profile declares"
+                        f"{fe['name']}: not the dump the {emu_name} profile declares"
                     )
 
                 # SHA1 dedup: skip if same physical file AND same destination

scripts/verify.py

@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def verify_entry_existence(
     resolve_status: str = "",
     platform_display: str = "",
 ) -> dict:
-    """RetroArch verification: path_is_valid() -file exists = OK."""
+    """RetroArch verification: path_is_valid(), a file that exists is OK."""
     name = file_entry.get("name", "")
     required = file_entry.get("required", True)
     if not local_path:
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ def _print_detail_entries(details: list[dict], seen: set[str], verbose: bool) ->
             req = "required" if d.get("required", True) else "optional"
             hle = ", HLE available" if d.get("hle_fallback") else ""
             reason = d.get("reason", "")
-            print(f"  UNTESTED ({req}{hle}): {key} -{reason}")
+            print(f"  UNTESTED ({req}{hle}): {key}: {reason}")
             _print_ground_truth(d.get("ground_truth", []), verbose)
     for d in details:
         if d["status"] == Status.MISSING:
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ def _print_detail_entries(details: list[dict], seen: set[str], verbose: bool) ->
             if key in seen:
                 continue
             seen.add(key)
-            print(f"  DISCREPANCY: {key} -{disc}")
+            print(f"  DISCREPANCY: {key}: {disc}")
             _print_ground_truth(d.get("ground_truth", []), verbose)
 
     if verbose:
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ def print_platform_result(
     if exclusions and verbose:
         print(f"  No external files ({len(exclusions)}):")
         for ex in exclusions:
-            print(f"    {ex['emulator']} -{ex['detail']} [{ex['reason']}]")
+            print(f"    {ex['emulator']}: {ex['detail']} [{ex['reason']}]")
     elif exclusions:
         print(f"  No external files: {len(exclusions)} cores (--verbose lists them)")
 
@@ -1944,7 +1944,7 @@ def print_emulator_result(result: dict, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
             req = "required" if d.get("required", True) else "optional"
             hle = ", HLE available" if d.get("hle_fallback") else ""
             reason = d.get("reason", "")
-            print(f"  UNTESTED ({req}{hle}): {d['name']} -{reason}")
+            print(f"  UNTESTED ({req}{hle}): {d['name']}: {reason}")
             gt = d.get("ground_truth", [])
             if gt:
                 if verbose:
@@ -1973,7 +1973,7 @@ def print_emulator_result(result: dict, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
                 continue
             seen.add(d["name"])
             why = d.get("unsourceable") or "documented as unobtainable"
-            print(f"  UNSOURCEABLE: {d['name']} -{why}")
+            print(f"  UNSOURCEABLE: {d['name']}: {why}")
 
     for d in result["details"]:
         if d.get("note"):

tests/test_audit_regressions.py

@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ class ACheckThatCannotAnswerDoesNotPass(unittest.TestCase):
             encoding="utf-8"
         )
         self.assertIn(
-            'if report.get("error"):',
+            'if report.get("error") or pending(report):',
             source.split("def main(")[-1],
             "main() ignores the error the report carries",
         )
@@ -3426,5 +3426,21 @@ class AutoFetchAsksVerifyWhatIsMissing(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(names, ["gone.bin", "bad.bin", "diabdat.mpq"])
 
 
+
+class MessagesSeparateWithAColon(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Em-dashes were replaced by " -" in messages: "bios/BLOOD.RFF -raze
+    says size mismatch" reads as a flag glued to a file name."""
+
+    PATTERN = re.compile(r"\} -[{a-z]")
+
+    def test_no_message_uses_a_dash_separator(self):
+        found = []
+        for path in [ROOT / "install.py", *sorted((ROOT / "scripts").rglob("*.py"))]:
+            for number, line in enumerate(path.read_text().splitlines(), 1):
+                if self.PATTERN.search(line):
+                    found.append(f"{path.name}:{number}: {line.strip()}")
+        self.assertEqual(found, [])
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/test_native_mode.py

@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ class OneProfileSelector(unittest.TestCase):
                 f"{name} must ask common, not re-derive the refusal",
             )
             self.assertNotIn(
-                'is a launcher -use the emulator it launches', text,
+                'is a launcher: use the emulator it launches', text,
                 f"{name} still spells the refusal itself",
             )