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diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1f2db31312 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt @@ -0,0 +1,280 @@ +parse-options API +================= + +The parse-options API is used to parse and massage options in Git +and to provide a usage help with consistent look. + +Basics +------ + +The argument vector `argv[]` may usually contain mandatory or optional +'non-option arguments', e.g. a filename or a branch, and 'options'. +Options are optional arguments that start with a dash and +that allow to change the behavior of a command. + +* There are basically three types of options: + 'boolean' options, + options with (mandatory) 'arguments' and + options with 'optional arguments' + (i.e. a boolean option that can be adjusted). + +* There are basically two forms of options: + 'Short options' consist of one dash (`-`) and one alphanumeric + character. + 'Long options' begin with two dashes (`--`) and some + alphanumeric characters. + +* Options are case-sensitive. + Please define 'lower-case long options' only. + +The parse-options API allows: + +* 'stuck' and 'separate form' of options with arguments. + `-oArg` is stuck, `-o Arg` is separate form. + `--option=Arg` is stuck, `--option Arg` is separate form. + +* Long options may be 'abbreviated', as long as the abbreviation + is unambiguous. + +* Short options may be bundled, e.g. `-a -b` can be specified as `-ab`. + +* Boolean long options can be 'negated' (or 'unset') by prepending + `no-`, e.g. `--no-abbrev` instead of `--abbrev`. Conversely, + options that begin with `no-` can be 'negated' by removing it. + Other long options can be unset (e.g., set string to NULL, set + integer to 0) by prepending `no-`. + +* Options and non-option arguments can clearly be separated using the `--` + option, e.g. `-a -b --option -- --this-is-a-file` indicates that + `--this-is-a-file` must not be processed as an option. + +Steps to parse options +---------------------- + +. `#include "parse-options.h"` + +. define a NULL-terminated + `static const char * const builtin_foo_usage[]` array + containing alternative usage strings + +. define `builtin_foo_options` array as described below + in section 'Data Structure'. + +. in `cmd_foo(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)` + call + + argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, builtin_foo_options, builtin_foo_usage, flags); ++ +`parse_options()` will filter out the processed options of `argv[]` and leave the +non-option arguments in `argv[]`. +`argc` is updated appropriately because of the assignment. ++ +You can also pass NULL instead of a usage array as the fifth parameter of +parse_options(), to avoid displaying a help screen with usage info and +option list. This should only be done if necessary, e.g. to implement +a limited parser for only a subset of the options that needs to be run +before the full parser, which in turn shows the full help message. ++ +Flags are the bitwise-or of: + +`PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH`:: + Keep the `--` that usually separates options from + non-option arguments. + +`PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION`:: + Usually the whole argument vector is massaged and reordered. + Using this flag, processing is stopped at the first non-option + argument. + +`PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0`:: + Keep the first argument, which contains the program name. It's + removed from argv[] by default. + +`PARSE_OPT_KEEP_UNKNOWN`:: + Keep unknown arguments instead of erroring out. This doesn't + work for all combinations of arguments as users might expect + it to do. E.g. if the first argument in `--unknown --known` + takes a value (which we can't know), the second one is + mistakenly interpreted as a known option. Similarly, if + `PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION` is set, the second argument in + `--unknown value` will be mistakenly interpreted as a + non-option, not as a value belonging to the unknown option, + the parser early. That's why parse_options() errors out if + both options are set. + +`PARSE_OPT_NO_INTERNAL_HELP`:: + By default, parse_options() handles `-h`, `--help` and + `--help-all` internally, by showing a help screen. This option + turns it off and allows one to add custom handlers for these + options, or to just leave them unknown. + +Data Structure +-------------- + +The main data structure is an array of the `option` struct, +say `static struct option builtin_add_options[]`. +There are some macros to easily define options: + +`OPT__ABBREV(&int_var)`:: + Add `--abbrev[=<n>]`. + +`OPT__COLOR(&int_var, description)`:: + Add `--color[=<when>]` and `--no-color`. + +`OPT__DRY_RUN(&int_var, description)`:: + Add `-n, --dry-run`. + +`OPT__FORCE(&int_var, description)`:: + Add `-f, --force`. + +`OPT__QUIET(&int_var, description)`:: + Add `-q, --quiet`. + +`OPT__VERBOSE(&int_var, description)`:: + Add `-v, --verbose`. + +`OPT_GROUP(description)`:: + Start an option group. `description` is a short string that + describes the group or an empty string. + Start the description with an upper-case letter. + +`OPT_BOOL(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce a boolean option. `int_var` is set to one with + `--option` and set to zero with `--no-option`. + +`OPT_COUNTUP(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce a count-up option. + `int_var` is incremented on each use of `--option`, and + reset to zero with `--no-option`. + +`OPT_BIT(short, long, &int_var, description, mask)`:: + Introduce a boolean option. + If used, `int_var` is bitwise-ored with `mask`. + +`OPT_NEGBIT(short, long, &int_var, description, mask)`:: + Introduce a boolean option. + If used, `int_var` is bitwise-anded with the inverted `mask`. + +`OPT_SET_INT(short, long, &int_var, description, integer)`:: + Introduce an integer option. + `int_var` is set to `integer` with `--option`, and + reset to zero with `--no-option`. + +`OPT_STRING(short, long, &str_var, arg_str, description)`:: + Introduce an option with string argument. + The string argument is put into `str_var`. + +`OPT_INTEGER(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce an option with integer argument. + The integer is put into `int_var`. + +`OPT_DATE(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce an option with date argument, see `approxidate()`. + The timestamp is put into `int_var`. + +`OPT_EXPIRY_DATE(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce an option with expiry date argument, see `parse_expiry_date()`. + The timestamp is put into `int_var`. + +`OPT_CALLBACK(short, long, &var, arg_str, description, func_ptr)`:: + Introduce an option with argument. + The argument will be fed into the function given by `func_ptr` + and the result will be put into `var`. + See 'Option Callbacks' below for a more elaborate description. + +`OPT_FILENAME(short, long, &var, description)`:: + Introduce an option with a filename argument. + The filename will be prefixed by passing the filename along with + the prefix argument of `parse_options()` to `prefix_filename()`. + +`OPT_ARGUMENT(long, description)`:: + Introduce a long-option argument that will be kept in `argv[]`. + +`OPT_NUMBER_CALLBACK(&var, description, func_ptr)`:: + Recognize numerical options like -123 and feed the integer as + if it was an argument to the function given by `func_ptr`. + The result will be put into `var`. There can be only one such + option definition. It cannot be negated and it takes no + arguments. Short options that happen to be digits take + precedence over it. + +`OPT_COLOR_FLAG(short, long, &int_var, description)`:: + Introduce an option that takes an optional argument that can + have one of three values: "always", "never", or "auto". If the + argument is not given, it defaults to "always". The `--no-` form + works like `--long=never`; it cannot take an argument. If + "always", set `int_var` to 1; if "never", set `int_var` to 0; if + "auto", set `int_var` to 1 if stdout is a tty or a pager, + 0 otherwise. + +`OPT_NOOP_NOARG(short, long)`:: + Introduce an option that has no effect and takes no arguments. + Use it to hide deprecated options that are still to be recognized + and ignored silently. + + +The last element of the array must be `OPT_END()`. + +If not stated otherwise, interpret the arguments as follows: + +* `short` is a character for the short option + (e.g. `'e'` for `-e`, use `0` to omit), + +* `long` is a string for the long option + (e.g. `"example"` for `--example`, use `NULL` to omit), + +* `int_var` is an integer variable, + +* `str_var` is a string variable (`char *`), + +* `arg_str` is the string that is shown as argument + (e.g. `"branch"` will result in `<branch>`). + If set to `NULL`, three dots (`...`) will be displayed. + +* `description` is a short string to describe the effect of the option. + It shall begin with a lower-case letter and a full stop (`.`) shall be + omitted at the end. + +Option Callbacks +---------------- + +The function must be defined in this form: + + int func(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset) + +The callback mechanism is as follows: + +* Inside `func`, the only interesting member of the structure + given by `opt` is the void pointer `opt->value`. + `*opt->value` will be the value that is saved into `var`, if you + use `OPT_CALLBACK()`. + For example, do `*(unsigned long *)opt->value = 42;` to get 42 + into an `unsigned long` variable. + +* Return value `0` indicates success and non-zero return + value will invoke `usage_with_options()` and, thus, die. + +* If the user negates the option, `arg` is `NULL` and `unset` is 1. + +Sophisticated option parsing +---------------------------- + +If you need, for example, option callbacks with optional arguments +or without arguments at all, or if you need other special cases, +that are not handled by the macros above, you need to specify the +members of the `option` structure manually. + +This is not covered in this document, but well documented +in `parse-options.h` itself. + +Examples +-------- + +See `test-parse-options.c` and +`builtin/add.c`, +`builtin/clone.c`, +`builtin/commit.c`, +`builtin/fetch.c`, +`builtin/fsck.c`, +`builtin/rm.c` +for real-world examples. |