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-rw-r--r--Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt75
1 files changed, 55 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
index 3062389404..5a60bbfa7f 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
parse-options API
=================
-The parse-options API is used to parse and massage options in git
+The parse-options API is used to parse and massage options in Git
and to provide a usage help with consistent look.
Basics
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ that allow to change the behavior of a command.
The parse-options API allows:
-* 'sticked' and 'separate form' of options with arguments.
- `-oArg` is sticked, `-o Arg` is separate form.
- `--option=Arg` is sticked, `--option Arg` is separate form.
+* '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.
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ The parse-options API allows:
* 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
@@ -142,8 +144,12 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
`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`.
+ Each use of `--option` increments `int_var`, starting from zero
+ (even if initially negative), and `--no-option` resets it to
+ zero. To determine if `--option` or `--no-option` was encountered at
+ all, initialize `int_var` to a negative value, and if it is still
+ negative after parse_options(), then neither `--option` nor
+ `--no-option` was seen.
`OPT_BIT(short, long, &int_var, description, mask)`::
Introduce a boolean option.
@@ -158,21 +164,28 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
`int_var` is set to `integer` with `--option`, and
reset to zero with `--no-option`.
-`OPT_SET_PTR(short, long, &ptr_var, description, ptr)`::
- Introduce a boolean option.
- If used, set `ptr_var` to `ptr`.
-
`OPT_STRING(short, long, &str_var, arg_str, description)`::
Introduce an option with string argument.
The string argument is put into `str_var`.
+`OPT_STRING_LIST(short, long, &struct string_list, arg_str, description)`::
+ Introduce an option with string argument.
+ The string argument is stored as an element in `string_list`.
+ Use of `--no-option` will clear the list of preceding values.
+
`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_MAGNITUDE(short, long, &unsigned_long_var, description)`::
+ Introduce an option with a size argument. The argument must be a
+ non-negative integer and may include a suffix of 'k', 'm' or 'g' to
+ scale the provided value by 1024, 1024^2 or 1024^3 respectively.
+ The scaled value is put into `unsigned_long_var`.
+
+`OPT_EXPIRY_DATE(short, long, &timestamp_t_var, description)`::
+ Introduce an option with expiry date argument, see `parse_expiry_date()`.
+ The timestamp is put into `timestamp_t_var`.
`OPT_CALLBACK(short, long, &var, arg_str, description, func_ptr)`::
Introduce an option with argument.
@@ -185,8 +198,10 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
The filename will be prefixed by passing the filename along with
the prefix argument of `parse_options()` to `prefix_filename()`.
-`OPT_ARGUMENT(long, description)`::
+`OPT_ARGUMENT(long, &int_var, description)`::
Introduce a long-option argument that will be kept in `argv[]`.
+ If this option was seen, `int_var` will be set to one (except
+ if a `NULL` pointer was passed).
`OPT_NUMBER_CALLBACK(&var, description, func_ptr)`::
Recognize numerical options like -123 and feed the integer as
@@ -210,6 +225,26 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
Use it to hide deprecated options that are still to be recognized
and ignored silently.
+`OPT_PASSTHRU(short, long, &char_var, arg_str, description, flags)`::
+ Introduce an option that will be reconstructed into a char* string,
+ which must be initialized to NULL. This is useful when you need to
+ pass the command-line option to another command. Any previous value
+ will be overwritten, so this should only be used for options where
+ the last one specified on the command line wins.
+
+`OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV(short, long, &strvec_var, arg_str, description, flags)`::
+ Introduce an option where all instances of it on the command-line will
+ be reconstructed into a strvec. This is useful when you need to
+ pass the command-line option, which can be specified multiple times,
+ to another command.
+
+`OPT_CMDMODE(short, long, &int_var, description, enum_val)`::
+ Define an "operation mode" option, only one of which in the same
+ group of "operating mode" options that share the same `int_var`
+ can be given by the user. `enum_val` is set to `int_var` when the
+ option is used, but an error is reported if other "operating mode"
+ option has already set its value to the same `int_var`.
+
The last element of the array must be `OPT_END()`.
@@ -269,10 +304,10 @@ 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`
+`builtin/add.c`,
+`builtin/clone.c`,
+`builtin/commit.c`,
+`builtin/fetch.c`,
+`builtin/fsck.c`,
+`builtin/rm.c`
for real-world examples.