[Question] How to have global parameters

[gep13]

I was hoping that someone will be able to help me, with what I am referring to as global parameters, but this might be known under a different name.

When parsing my input arguments, I want to have an option to include things like a -v argument, which version parsed, will print out the version number of my command line tool. In addition, I want to be able to have verbs for doing specific pieces of functionality, like transform, and then have additional arguments for this command.

Individually, I can get this to work, i.e. have an Option for -v, and have a VerbOption for transform, however, I don't seem to be able to combine them. Am I missing something?

So to recap, what I would like to be able to do is:

my.exe -v

my.exe transform -i "c:/temp/input.xml" -o "c:/temp/output.html"

Is this possible?

Each time I try it, my Version Option is always false.

NOTE: I am using CommandLineParser 1.9.71.

[gep13]

I have just looked at the pre-release version of this project, and it looks like it included a default --version which is exactly what I am looking for 👍 Is there any way to alter this so that it also supports -v?

[gsscoder]

#250 explains why I'm replying late...

@gep13, for the moment 2.0.*-beta (very close to be promoted RC and than STABLE), doesn't support short options name for built-in --help and --version.

This choice is conventional and based on standard *nix utility based that implements getopt() conventions.

I don't think this will be changed, but you can do this in a custom fork with easy.

In Text/HelpText.cs two private methods handle these built-in options MakeHelpEntry() and MakeVersionEntry().
I can link one of it but if sources change the line number may vary.

Let's take MakeVersionEntry: just replace string.Empty with "v" as first parameter of OptionSpecification.NewSwitch and you'll be able to print out version as you ask.

I hope this helped. :)

[gep13]

@gsscoder yip, I had already read that issue, so I appreciate you taking the time to get back to me!

I guess the reason that I was asking was that with some other tools, like node, npm, gulp, bower, etc, I can run the -v parameter, and get some immediate information about the version of that tool:

So, for the sake of consistency, I wanted to add the same to my console applications.

I am a Windows guy, so I am not clear on what you are referring to when you say:

*nix utility based that implements getopt() conventions.

But I will take your word for it 😄

I will have a think about whether I want to take a fork for commandline to get what I want. Thanks again.

[gsscoder]

@gep13, consistency is always a good thing, nowadays a lot of terminal commands mix a lot of styles allowing long options with a single dash and other things.

Requesting version with a short option is not really so out-of-standard and after 2.0 reaches STABLE status this choice can be re-evaluated.

There's another "philosophical" choice in implementing built-in --help and --version without short option character defined and this is to allowing user commands with h and v.

Now we can open a discussion about if this makes sense or not... For what I can observe, more a terminal command stick to "common standard" and more exposes these two commands only as long options.

Thanks for starting an interesting discussion, not only code submission allow a project to grow... :)

So we can rethink this after 2.0 reaches STABLE status, as said.

Thank you again.

[gep13]

Sounds like a plan to me :-)

As a side note, if I wanted to add some additional top level arguments, similar to --help and --version how can I do this, without re-compiling commandline? Or can I? Everything I tried didn't seem to work.

Thanks again!

[nemec]

You could add a new verb for each. --help and --version are just built-in verbs.

[gep13]

@nemec said...
You could add a new verb for each. --help and --version are just built-in verbs.

Ah, of course, thank you! I think I was overthinking the problem 😄

[alexanderfast]

Problem solved, closing this. :)