fix(cli): reject pagination modifiers with --count

src/commands/root.ts

@@ -758,6 +758,20 @@ export async function root(argv: string[]) {
       'use it with --row, --table, --locate, or a selector; fetch mode already returns JSON'
     )
   }
+  const countModifiers = [
+    ['--limit', flags.limit !== undefined],
+    ['--offset', flags.offset !== undefined],
+    ['--budget', flags.budget !== undefined],
+    ['--all', flags.all === true],
+  ]
+    .filter(([, active]) => active)
+    .map(([flag]) => flag)
+  if (flags.count === true && countModifiers.length > 0) {
+    fail(
+      `--count cannot be combined with ${countModifiers.join(', ')}`,
+      '--count always reports total matches; remove pagination modifiers or choose a list output mode'
+    )
+  }
   const fetchOnlyOutputMode =
     typeof flags.output === 'string' ? '--output' : flags.body === true ? '--body' : null
   if (fetchOnlyOutputMode && (!isUrl || selector !== undefined)) {

test/cli.test.ts

@@ -608,6 +608,18 @@ test('fetch-only output modes fail in parse mode before source I/O', () => {
   }
 })
 
+test('--count rejects pagination modifiers before source I/O', () => {
+  const cases = [['--limit', '1'], ['--offset', '1'], ['--budget', '1'], ['--all']]
+
+  for (const modifier of cases) {
+    const r = ax(['missing.html', '.x', '--count', ...modifier])
+    expect(r.code).toBe(1)
+    expect(r.out).toBe('')
+    expect(r.err).toContain(`ax: error: --count cannot be combined with ${modifier[0]}`)
+    expect(r.err).not.toContain('ENOENT')
+  }
+})
+
 test('cap: default limit with stderr note', () => {
   const r = ax(['many.html', '.x'])
   expect(r.out.split('\n')).toHaveLength(50)