Show warning message if initial_parameters is passed instead of initial_params

src/sample.jl

@@ -405,6 +405,11 @@ function mcmcsample(
     initial_state=nothing,
     kwargs...,
 )
+    # Warn if initial_parameters is passed instead of initial_params
+    if haskey(kwargs, :initial_parameters)
+        @warn "The `initial_parameters` keyword argument is not recognised; please use `initial_params` instead."
+    end
+
     # Check if actually multiple threads are used.
     if Threads.nthreads() == 1
         @warn "Only a single thread available: MCMC chains are not sampled in parallel"
@@ -588,6 +593,11 @@ function mcmcsample(
     initial_state=nothing,
     kwargs...,
 )
+    # Warn if initial_parameters is passed instead of initial_params
+    if haskey(kwargs, :initial_parameters)
+        @warn "The `initial_parameters` keyword argument is not recognised; please use `initial_params` instead."
+    end
+
     # Check if actually multiple processes are used.
     if Distributed.nworkers() == 1
         @warn "Only a single process available: MCMC chains are not sampled in parallel"
@@ -727,6 +737,11 @@ function mcmcsample(
     initial_state=nothing,
     kwargs...,
 )
+    # Warn if initial_parameters is passed instead of initial_params
+    if haskey(kwargs, :initial_parameters)
+        @warn "The `initial_parameters` keyword argument is not recognised; please use `initial_params` instead."
+    end
+
     # Check if the number of chains is larger than the number of samples
     if nchains > N
         @warn "Number of chains ($nchains) is greater than number of samples per chain ($N)"

test/sample.jl

@@ -31,6 +31,19 @@
             )
             @test chain[1].a == -1.8
             @test chain[1].b == 3.2
+
+            # test warning for initial_parameters (typo)
+            # Note: initial_parameters will be ignored, but it should warn the user
+            @test_logs (:warn, r"initial_parameters.*not recognised.*initial_params") match_mode =
+                :any sample(
+                MyModel(),
+                MySampler(),
+                MCMCThreads(),
+                3,
+                2;
+                progress=false,
+                initial_parameters=(b=1.0, a=2.0),
+            )
         end
 
         @testset "IJulia" begin
@@ -282,6 +295,17 @@
             MyModel(), MySampler(), MCMCDistributed(), 5, 10; chain_type=MyChain
         )
 
+        # Test warning for initial_parameters (typo)
+        @test_logs (:warn, r"initial_parameters.*not recognised.*initial_params") sample(
+            MyModel(),
+            MySampler(),
+            MCMCDistributed(),
+            3,
+            2;
+            progress=false,
+            initial_parameters=(b=1.0, a=2.0),
+        )
+
         # Suppress output.
         logs, _ = collect_test_logs(; min_level=Logging.LogLevel(-1)) do
             sample(
@@ -408,6 +432,17 @@
             MyModel(), MySampler(), MCMCSerial(), 5, 10; chain_type=MyChain
         )
 
+        # Test warning for initial_parameters (typo)
+        @test_logs (:warn, r"initial_parameters.*not recognised.*initial_params") sample(
+            MyModel(),
+            MySampler(),
+            MCMCSerial(),
+            3,
+            2;
+            progress=false,
+            initial_parameters=(b=1.0, a=2.0),
+        )
+
         # Suppress output.
         logs, _ = collect_test_logs(; min_level=Logging.LogLevel(-1)) do
             sample(