Index: trunk/ippTools/src/difftool.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/difftool.c	(revision 24922)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/difftool.c	(revision 24933)
@@ -662,4 +662,10 @@
     PXOPT_COPY_S16(config->args, where, "-fault",     "fault", "==");
 
+    if (!psListLength(where->list) && !psMetadataLookupBool(NULL, config->args, "-all")) {
+        psFree(where);
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, false, "search parameters are required");
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (!psDBTransaction(config->dbh)) {
         psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "database error");
@@ -1289,33 +1295,33 @@
 
     // other where restrictions:
-    PXOPT_COPY_TIME(config->args,  selectWhere, "-dateobs_begin",      "inputRawExp.dateobs",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_TIME(config->args,  selectWhere, "-dateobs_end",	       "inputRawExp.dateobs",	     "<=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-ra_min",	       "inputRawExp.ra",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-ra_max",	       "inputRawExp.ra",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-decl_min",	       "inputRawExp.decl",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-decl_max",	       "inputRawExp.decl",	     "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_TIME(config->args,  selectWhere, "-dateobs_begin",      "inputRawExp.dateobs",        ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_TIME(config->args,  selectWhere, "-dateobs_end",        "inputRawExp.dateobs",        "<=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-ra_min",             "inputRawExp.ra",             ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-ra_max",             "inputRawExp.ra",             "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-decl_min",           "inputRawExp.decl",           ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_RADEC(config->args, selectWhere, "-decl_max",           "inputRawExp.decl",           "<");
     PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sat_pixel_frac_min", "inputRawExp.sat_pixel_frac", ">=");
     PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sat_pixel_frac_max", "inputRawExp.sat_pixel_frac", "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-airmass_min",	       "inputRawExp.airmass",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-airmass_max",	       "inputRawExp.airmass",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-exp_time_min",       "inputRawExp.exp_time",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-exp_time_max",       "inputRawExp.exp_time",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_min",	       "inputRawExp.bg",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_max",	       "inputRawExp.bg",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_stdev_min",       "inputRawExp.bg_stdev",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_stdev_max",       "inputRawExp.bg_stdev",	     "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-airmass_min",        "inputRawExp.airmass",        ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-airmass_max",        "inputRawExp.airmass",        "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-exp_time_min",       "inputRawExp.exp_time",       ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-exp_time_max",       "inputRawExp.exp_time",       "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_min",             "inputRawExp.bg",             ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_max",             "inputRawExp.bg",             "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_stdev_min",       "inputRawExp.bg_stdev",       ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_stdev_max",       "inputRawExp.bg_stdev",       "<");
     PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_mean_stdev_min",  "inputRawExp.bg_mean_stdev",  ">=");
     PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-bg_mean_stdev_max",  "inputRawExp.bg_mean_stdev",  "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-alt_min",	       "inputRawExp.alt",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-alt_max",	       "inputRawExp.alt",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-az_min",	       "inputRawExp.az",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-az_max",	       "inputRawExp.az",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-ccd_temp_min",       "inputRawExp.ccd_temp",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-ccd_temp_max",       "inputRawExp.ccd_temp",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-posang_min",	       "inputRawExp.posang",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-posang_max",	       "inputRawExp.posang",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sun_angle_min",      "inputRawExp.sun_angle",	     ">=");
-    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sun_angle_max",      "inputRawExp.sun_angle",	     "<");
-    PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args,   selectWhere, "-comment",	       "inputRawExp.comment",	     "LIKE");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-alt_min",            "inputRawExp.alt",            ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-alt_max",            "inputRawExp.alt",            "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-az_min",             "inputRawExp.az",             ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-az_max",             "inputRawExp.az",             "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-ccd_temp_min",       "inputRawExp.ccd_temp",       ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-ccd_temp_max",       "inputRawExp.ccd_temp",       "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-posang_min",         "inputRawExp.posang",         ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F64(config->args,   selectWhere, "-posang_max",         "inputRawExp.posang",         "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sun_angle_min",      "inputRawExp.sun_angle",      ">=");
+    PXOPT_COPY_F32(config->args,   selectWhere, "-sun_angle_max",      "inputRawExp.sun_angle",      "<");
+    PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args,   selectWhere, "-comment",            "inputRawExp.comment",        "LIKE");
 
     // Haversine formula for great circle distance
Index: trunk/ippTools/src/difftoolConfig.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/difftoolConfig.c	(revision 24922)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/difftoolConfig.c	(revision 24933)
@@ -133,4 +133,5 @@
     psMetadataAddStr(revertdiffskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-label", 0, "search by label", NULL);
     psMetadataAddS16(revertdiffskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-fault",  0,            "search by fault code", 0);
+    psMetadataAddBool(revertdiffskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-all",  0, "allow no search terms", 0);
 
     // -definepoprun
Index: trunk/ippTools/src/stacktool.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/stacktool.c	(revision 24922)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/stacktool.c	(revision 24933)
@@ -931,4 +931,10 @@
     PXOPT_COPY_S16(config->args, where, "-fault", "stackSumSkyfile.fault", "==");
 
+    if (!psListLength(where->list) && !psMetadataLookupBool(NULL, config->args, "-all")) {
+        psFree(where);
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, false, "search parameters are required");
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (!psDBTransaction(config->dbh)) {
         psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "database error");
Index: trunk/ippTools/src/stacktoolConfig.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/stacktoolConfig.c	(revision 24922)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/stacktoolConfig.c	(revision 24933)
@@ -169,4 +169,5 @@
     psMetadataAddStr(revertsumskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-label", 0, "search by label", 0);
     psMetadataAddS16(revertsumskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-fault",  0,            "search by fault code", 0);
+    psMetadataAddBool(revertsumskyfileArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-all",  0, "allow no search terms", 0);
 
     // -pendingcleanuprun