diff --git a/src/kit/taosdemo/taosdemo.c b/src/kit/taosdemo/taosdemo.c
index ae7ffd16b9bb5033c5b5787ee74cc0ef51a715f3..34302ac2b0cec3f93c1d5aa24c306407a68ce7ab 100644
--- a/src/kit/taosdemo/taosdemo.c
+++ b/src/kit/taosdemo/taosdemo.c
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ typedef struct {
 } SColDes;
 
 /* Used by main to communicate with parse_opt. */
+static char *g_dupstr = NULL;
+
 typedef struct SArguments_S {
   char *   metaFile;
   uint32_t test_mode;
@@ -526,7 +528,6 @@ static int taosRandom()
 #endif // ifdef Windows
 
 static void prompt();
-static void prompt2();
 static int createDatabasesAndStables();
 static void createChildTables();
 static int queryDbExec(TAOS *taos, char *command, QUERY_TYPE type, bool quiet);
@@ -679,8 +680,9 @@ static void printHelp() {
           "The data_type of columns, default: INT,INT,INT,INT.");
   printf("%s%s%s%s\n", indent, "-w", indent,
           "The length of data_type 'BINARY' or 'NCHAR'. Default is 16");
-  printf("%s%s%s%s\n", indent, "-l", indent,
-          "The number of columns per record. Default is 4.");
+  printf("%s%s%s%s%d\n", indent, "-l", indent,
+          "The number of columns per record. Default is 4. Max values is ",
+       MAX_NUM_DATATYPE);
   printf("%s%s%s%s\n", indent, "-T", indent,
           "The number of threads. Default is 10.");
   printf("%s%s%s%s\n", indent, "-i", indent,
@@ -724,7 +726,6 @@ static bool isStringNumber(char *input)
 }
 
 static void parse_args(int argc, char *argv[], SArguments *arguments) {
-  char **sptr;
 
   for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
     if (strcmp(argv[i], "-f") == 0) {
@@ -851,20 +852,31 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char *argv[], SArguments *arguments) {
       }
       arguments->database = argv[++i];
     } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-l") == 0) {
-      if ((argc == i+1) ||
-        (!isStringNumber(argv[i+1]))) {
-        printHelp();
-        errorPrint("%s", "\n\t-l need a number following!\n");
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+      if (argc == i+1) {
+        if (!isStringNumber(argv[i+1])) {
+            printHelp();
+            errorPrint("%s", "\n\t-l need a number following!\n");
+            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
       }
       arguments->num_of_CPR = atoi(argv[++i]);
+
+      if (arguments->num_of_CPR > MAX_NUM_DATATYPE) {
+          printf("WARNING: max acceptible columns count is %d\n", MAX_NUM_DATATYPE);
+          prompt();
+          arguments->num_of_CPR = MAX_NUM_DATATYPE;
+      }
+
+      for (int col = arguments->num_of_CPR; col < MAX_NUM_DATATYPE; col++) {
+          arguments->datatype[col] = NULL;
+      }
+
     } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-b") == 0) {
       if (argc == i+1) {
         printHelp();
         errorPrint("%s", "\n\t-b need valid string following!\n");
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
       }
-      sptr = arguments->datatype;
       ++i;
       if (strstr(argv[i], ",") == NULL) {
         // only one col
@@ -881,12 +893,12 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char *argv[], SArguments *arguments) {
           errorPrint("%s", "-b: Invalid data_type!\n");
           exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
-        sptr[0] = argv[i];
+        arguments->datatype[0] = argv[i];
       } else {
         // more than one col
         int index = 0;
-        char *dupstr = strdup(argv[i]);
-        char *running = dupstr;
+        g_dupstr = strdup(argv[i]);
+        char *running = g_dupstr;
         char *token = strsep(&running, ",");
         while(token != NULL) {
           if (strcasecmp(token, "INT")
@@ -899,16 +911,15 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char *argv[], SArguments *arguments) {
                   && strcasecmp(token, "BINARY")
                   && strcasecmp(token, "NCHAR")) {
             printHelp();
-            free(dupstr);
+            free(g_dupstr);
             errorPrint("%s", "-b: Invalid data_type!\n");
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
           }
-          sptr[index++] = token;
+          arguments->datatype[index++] = token;
           token = strsep(&running, ",");
           if (index >= MAX_NUM_DATATYPE) break;
         }
-        free(dupstr);
-        sptr[index] = NULL;
+        arguments->datatype[index] = NULL;
       }
     } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-w") == 0) {
       if ((argc == i+1) ||
@@ -3449,7 +3460,7 @@ static bool getMetaFromInsertJsonFile(cJSON* root) {
               g_args.interlace_rows, g_args.num_of_RPR);
       printf("        interlace rows value will be set to num_of_records_per_req %"PRIu64"\n\n",
               g_args.num_of_RPR);
-      prompt2();
+      prompt();
       g_args.interlace_rows = g_args.num_of_RPR;
     }
   } else if (!interlaceRows) {
@@ -5759,19 +5770,13 @@ static void startMultiThreadInsertData(int threads, char* db_name,
         && ((superTblInfo->childTblOffset + superTblInfo->childTblLimit )
             > superTblInfo->childTblCount)) {
       printf("WARNING: specified offset + limit > child table count!\n");
-      if (!g_args.answer_yes) {
-        printf("         Press enter key to continue or Ctrl-C to stop\n\n");
-        (void)getchar();
-      }
+      prompt();
     }
 
     if ((superTblInfo->childTblExists != TBL_NO_EXISTS)
             && (0 == superTblInfo->childTblLimit)) {
       printf("WARNING: specified limit = 0, which cannot find table name to insert or query! \n");
-      if (!g_args.answer_yes) {
-        printf("         Press enter key to continue or Ctrl-C to stop\n\n");
-        (void)getchar();
-      }
+      prompt();
     }
 
     superTblInfo->childTblName = (char*)calloc(1,
@@ -6093,19 +6098,11 @@ static void *readMetric(void *sarg) {
 static void prompt()
 {
   if (!g_args.answer_yes) {
-    printf("Press enter key to continue\n\n");
+    printf("         Press enter key to continue or Ctrl-C to stop\n\n");
     (void)getchar();
   }
 }
 
-static void prompt2()
-{
-    if (!g_args.answer_yes) {
-        printf("        press Enter key to continue or Ctrl-C to stop.");
-        (void)getchar();
-    }
-}
-
 static int insertTestProcess() {
 
   setupForAnsiEscape();
@@ -7325,6 +7322,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     } else {
       testCmdLine();
     }
+
+    if (g_dupstr)
+        free(g_dupstr);
   }
 
   return 0;