fix: harden clob download error handling

cwmscli/commands/blob.py

@@ -613,12 +613,12 @@ def download_cmd(
     try:
         blob_content = cwms.get_blob(office_id=office, blob_id=bid)
         target = dest or _default_download_dest(bid)
-        _save_blob_content(
+        saved_target = _save_blob_content(
             blob_content,
             dest=target,
             media_type_hint=_blob_media_type(cwms, office, bid),
         )
-        logging.info(f"Downloaded blob to: {target}")
+        logging.info(f"Downloaded blob to: {saved_target}")
     except requests.HTTPError as e:
         detail = getattr(e.response, "text", "") or str(e)
         logging.error(f"Failed to download (HTTP): {detail}")
@@ -632,6 +632,7 @@ def download_cmd(
         sys.exit(1)
     except Exception as e:
         logging.error(format_local_download_error(e, BLOB_DOCS_URL))
+        # Local write/path failures are not CDA credential scope problems.
         if not isinstance(e, (OSError, ValueError)):
             log_scoped_read_hint(
                 credential_kind=credential_kind,

cwmscli/commands/clob.py

@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@
 from cwmscli.utils import (
     format_local_download_error,
     get_api_key,
+    get_saved_login_token,
     has_invalid_chars,
+    init_cwms_session,
     log_scoped_read_hint,
     validate_default_download_dest,
 )
+from cwmscli.utils.click_help import DOCS_BASE_URL
+
+CLOB_DOCS_URL = f"{DOCS_BASE_URL}/cli/clob.html"
 
 
 def _join_api_url(api_root: str, path: str) -> str:
@@ -28,6 +33,16 @@ def _resolve_optional_api_key(api_key: Optional[str], anonymous: bool) -> Option
     return get_api_key(api_key, None)
 
 
+def _resolve_credential_kind(api_key: Optional[str], anonymous: bool) -> Optional[str]:
+    if anonymous:
+        return None
+    if get_saved_login_token():
+        return "token"
+    if _resolve_optional_api_key(api_key, anonymous):
+        return "api_key"
+    return None
+
+
 def _write_clob_content(content: str, dest: str) -> str:
     os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(dest) or ".", exist_ok=True)
     with open(dest, "w", encoding="utf-8", newline="") as f:
@@ -36,12 +51,17 @@ def _write_clob_content(content: str, dest: str) -> str:
 
 
 def _default_download_dest(clob_id: str) -> str:
-    return validate_default_download_dest(clob_id, resource_name="Clob")
+    return validate_default_download_dest(
+        clob_id,
+        resource_name="Clob",
+        docs_url=CLOB_DOCS_URL,
+    )
 
 
 def _clob_endpoint_id(clob_id: str) -> tuple[str, Optional[str]]:
     normalized = clob_id.upper()
     if has_invalid_chars(normalized):
+        # Path-like IDs use the placeholder route and keep the real ID in query params.
         return "ignored", normalized
     return normalized, None
 
@@ -190,8 +210,8 @@ def download_cmd(
             f"DRY RUN: would GET {api_root} clob with clob-id={clob_id} office={office}."
         )
         return
-    resolved_api_key = _resolve_optional_api_key(api_key, anonymous)
-    cwms.init_session(api_root=api_root, api_key=resolved_api_key)
+    credential_kind = _resolve_credential_kind(api_key, anonymous)
+    init_cwms_session(cwms, api_root=api_root, api_key=api_key, anonymous=anonymous)
     bid = clob_id.upper()
     logging.debug(f"Office={office} clobID={bid}")
 
@@ -215,15 +235,15 @@ def download_cmd(
         detail = getattr(e.response, "text", "") or str(e)
         logging.error(f"Failed to download (HTTP): {detail}")
         log_scoped_read_hint(
-            api_key=resolved_api_key,
+            credential_kind=credential_kind,
             anonymous=anonymous,
             office=office,
             action="download",
             resource="clob content",
         )
         sys.exit(1)
     except Exception as e:
-        logging.error(format_local_download_error(e, ""))
+        logging.error(format_local_download_error(e, CLOB_DOCS_URL))
         sys.exit(1)
 
 
@@ -305,8 +325,8 @@ def list_cmd(
     api_key: str,
     anonymous: bool = False,
 ):
-    resolved_api_key = _resolve_optional_api_key(api_key, anonymous)
-    cwms.init_session(api_root=api_root, api_key=resolved_api_key)
+    credential_kind = _resolve_credential_kind(api_key, anonymous)
+    init_cwms_session(cwms, api_root=api_root, api_key=api_key, anonymous=anonymous)
     try:
         df = list_clobs(
             office=office,
@@ -319,7 +339,7 @@ def list_cmd(
         )
     except Exception:
         log_scoped_read_hint(
-            api_key=resolved_api_key,
+            credential_kind=credential_kind,
             anonymous=anonymous,
             office=office,
             action="list",

cwmscli/utils/__init__.py

@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ def validate_default_download_dest(
             f"Pass --dest explicitly if needed."
         )
 
+    # Leading separators can be part of a CDA ID; default downloads stay relative.
     target = raw_id.lstrip("/\\")
     if not target:
         message = (

tests/commands/test_clob.py

@@ -307,6 +307,46 @@ class FakeHTTPError(Exception):
     assert "/cli/blob.html" not in caplog.text
 
 
+def test_download_cmd_http_error_logs_scope_hint(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, caplog
+):
+    class FakeResponse:
+        text = "Forbidden"
+
+    class FakeHTTPError(Exception):
+        response = FakeResponse()
+
+    class FakeCwms:
+        @staticmethod
+        def init_session(api_root, api_key):
+            return None
+
+        @staticmethod
+        def get_clob(office_id, clob_id):
+            raise FakeHTTPError()
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cwms", FakeCwms)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("cwmscli.commands.clob.cwms", FakeCwms)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "cwmscli.commands.clob.requests",
+        types.SimpleNamespace(HTTPError=FakeHTTPError),
+    )
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING), pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        download_cmd(
+            clob_id="test_clob",
+            dest=str(tmp_path / "downloaded.txt"),
+            office="SWT",
+            api_root="https://example.test/",
+            api_key="apikey 123",
+            dry_run=False,
+        )
+
+    assert exc.value.code == 1
+    assert "Access scope hint: an API key was sent" in caplog.text
+    assert "clob content" in caplog.text
+
+
 def test_list_cmd_initializes_session_with_api_key(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
     calls = []