1 files changed, 5 insertions, 12 deletions
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/MethodLibrary.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/MethodLibrary.java
index 47ca735a2a..3a0a176d28 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/MethodLibrary.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/MethodLibrary.java
@@ -1024,23 +1024,16 @@ public class MethodLibrary {
    */
   private static Object findExtreme(SkylarkList<?> args, Ordering<Object> maxOrdering, Location loc)
       throws EvalException {
-    // Args can either be a list of elements or a list whose first element is a non-empty iterable
-    // of elements.
+    // Args can either be a list of items to compare, or a singleton list whose element is an
+    // iterable of items to compare. In either case, there must be at least one item to compare.
     try {
-      return maxOrdering.max(getIterable(args, loc));
+      Iterable<?> items = (args.size() == 1) ? EvalUtils.toIterable(args.get(0), loc) : args;
+      return maxOrdering.max(items);
     } catch (NoSuchElementException ex) {
-      throw new EvalException(loc, "expected at least one argument");
+      throw new EvalException(loc, "expected at least one item");
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * This method returns the first element of the list, if that particular element is an
-   * Iterable<?>. Otherwise, it will return the entire list.
-   */
-  private static Iterable<?> getIterable(SkylarkList<?> list, Location loc) throws EvalException {
-    return (list.size() == 1) ? EvalUtils.toIterable(list.get(0), loc) : list;
-  }
-
   @SkylarkSignature(
     name = "all",
     returnType = Boolean.class,