fix: non-existent filters now raise an error instead of failing silently

CHANGES.rst

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ simbad
 
 - Fix the deprecated votable fields ``otype(V)`` and ``otype(S)`` [#3186]
 
+- Fixed non existing flux filters as votable fields would fail silently [#3186]
+
 Infrastructure, Utility and Other Changes and Additions
 -------------------------------------------------------
 

astroquery/simbad/core.py

@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ def add_votable_fields(self, *args):
         """
 
         # the legacy way of adding fluxes
-        args = list(args)
+        args = set(args)
         fluxes_to_add = []
         args_copy = args.copy()
         for arg in args_copy:
@@ -403,9 +403,10 @@ def add_votable_fields(self, *args):
         # output options
         output_options = self.list_votable_fields()
         # fluxes are case-dependant
-        fluxes = output_options[output_options["type"] == "filter name"]["name"]
+        fluxes = set(output_options[output_options["type"] == "filter name"]["name"])
         # add fluxes
-        fluxes_to_add += [flux for flux in args if flux in fluxes]
+        fluxes_from_names = set(flux for flux in args if flux in fluxes)
+        fluxes_to_add += fluxes_from_names
         if fluxes_to_add:
             self.joins.append(_Join("allfluxes", _Column("basic", "oid"),
                               _Column("allfluxes", "oidref")))
@@ -416,6 +417,10 @@ def add_votable_fields(self, *args):
                     self.columns_in_output.append(_Column("allfluxes", flux + "_", flux))
                 else:
                     self.columns_in_output.append(_Column("allfluxes", flux))
+        # remove the arguments already added
+        args -= fluxes_from_names
+        # remove filters from output options
+        output_options = output_options[output_options["type"] != "filter name"]
 
         # casefold args because we allow case difference for every other argument (legacy behavior)
         args = set(map(str.casefold, args))

astroquery/simbad/tests/test_simbad.py

@@ -274,6 +274,9 @@ def test_add_votable_fields_errors():
     with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning, match=r"The notation \'flux\(XXX\)\' is deprecated since 0.4.8 *"):
         simbad_instance.add_votable_fields("flux(u)")
         assert "u_" in str(simbad_instance.columns_in_output)
+    # big letter J filter exists, but not small letter j
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="'j' is not one of the accepted options *"):
+        simbad_instance.add_votable_fields("j")
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Coordinates conversion and formatting is no longer supported*"):
         simbad_instance.add_votable_fields("coo(s)", "dec(d)")
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Catalog Ids are no longer supported as an output option.*"):