575 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
575 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
|
A light, featureful and explicit option parsing library for node.js.
|
||
|
|
||
|
[Why another one? See below](#why). tl;dr: The others I've tried are one of
|
||
|
too loosey goosey (not explicit), too big/too many deps, or ill specified.
|
||
|
YMMV.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=trentmick" target="_blank">@trentmick</a>
|
||
|
for updates to node-dashdash.
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Install
|
||
|
|
||
|
npm install dashdash
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Usage
|
||
|
|
||
|
```javascript
|
||
|
var dashdash = require('dashdash');
|
||
|
|
||
|
// Specify the options. Minimally `name` (or `names`) and `type`
|
||
|
// must be given for each.
|
||
|
var options = [
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
// `names` or a single `name`. First element is the `opts.KEY`.
|
||
|
names: ['help', 'h'],
|
||
|
// See "Option specs" below for types.
|
||
|
type: 'bool',
|
||
|
help: 'Print this help and exit.'
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
];
|
||
|
|
||
|
// Shortcut form. As called it infers `process.argv`. See below for
|
||
|
// the longer form to use methods like `.help()` on the Parser object.
|
||
|
var opts = dashdash.parse({options: options});
|
||
|
|
||
|
console.log("opts:", opts);
|
||
|
console.log("args:", opts._args);
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Longer Example
|
||
|
|
||
|
A more realistic [starter script "foo.js"](./examples/foo.js) is as follows.
|
||
|
This also shows using `parser.help()` for formatted option help.
|
||
|
|
||
|
```javascript
|
||
|
var dashdash = require('./lib/dashdash');
|
||
|
|
||
|
var options = [
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
name: 'version',
|
||
|
type: 'bool',
|
||
|
help: 'Print tool version and exit.'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: ['help', 'h'],
|
||
|
type: 'bool',
|
||
|
help: 'Print this help and exit.'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: ['verbose', 'v'],
|
||
|
type: 'arrayOfBool',
|
||
|
help: 'Verbose output. Use multiple times for more verbose.'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: ['file', 'f'],
|
||
|
type: 'string',
|
||
|
help: 'File to process',
|
||
|
helpArg: 'FILE'
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
];
|
||
|
|
||
|
var parser = dashdash.createParser({options: options});
|
||
|
try {
|
||
|
var opts = parser.parse(process.argv);
|
||
|
} catch (e) {
|
||
|
console.error('foo: error: %s', e.message);
|
||
|
process.exit(1);
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
|
||
|
console.log("# opts:", opts);
|
||
|
console.log("# args:", opts._args);
|
||
|
|
||
|
// Use `parser.help()` for formatted options help.
|
||
|
if (opts.help) {
|
||
|
var help = parser.help({includeEnv: true}).trimRight();
|
||
|
console.log('usage: node foo.js [OPTIONS]\n'
|
||
|
+ 'options:\n'
|
||
|
+ help);
|
||
|
process.exit(0);
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
|
||
|
// ...
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Some example output from this script (foo.js):
|
||
|
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
$ node foo.js -h
|
||
|
# opts: { help: true,
|
||
|
_order: [ { name: 'help', value: true, from: 'argv' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
usage: node foo.js [OPTIONS]
|
||
|
options:
|
||
|
--version Print tool version and exit.
|
||
|
-h, --help Print this help and exit.
|
||
|
-v, --verbose Verbose output. Use multiple times for more verbose.
|
||
|
-f FILE, --file=FILE File to process
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ node foo.js -v
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ true ],
|
||
|
_order: [ { name: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'argv' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ node foo.js --version arg1
|
||
|
# opts: { version: true,
|
||
|
_order: [ { name: 'version', value: true, from: 'argv' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [ 'arg1' ] }
|
||
|
# args: [ 'arg1' ]
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ node foo.js -f bar.txt
|
||
|
# opts: { file: 'bar.txt',
|
||
|
_order: [ { name: 'file', value: 'bar.txt', from: 'argv' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ node foo.js -vvv --file=blah
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ true, true, true ],
|
||
|
file: 'blah',
|
||
|
_order:
|
||
|
[ { name: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'argv' },
|
||
|
{ name: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'argv' },
|
||
|
{ name: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'argv' },
|
||
|
{ name: 'file', value: 'blah', from: 'argv' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
See the ["examples"](examples/) dir for a number of starter examples using
|
||
|
some of dashdash's features.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Environment variable integration
|
||
|
|
||
|
If you want to allow environment variables to specify options to your tool,
|
||
|
dashdash makes this easy. We can change the 'verbose' option in the example
|
||
|
above to include an 'env' field:
|
||
|
|
||
|
```javascript
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: ['verbose', 'v'],
|
||
|
type: 'arrayOfBool',
|
||
|
env: 'FOO_VERBOSE', // <--- add this line
|
||
|
help: 'Verbose output. Use multiple times for more verbose.'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
then the **"FOO_VERBOSE" environment variable** can be used to set this
|
||
|
option:
|
||
|
|
||
|
```shell
|
||
|
$ FOO_VERBOSE=1 node foo.js
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ true ],
|
||
|
_order: [ { name: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
Boolean options will interpret the empty string as unset, '0' as false
|
||
|
and anything else as true.
|
||
|
|
||
|
```shell
|
||
|
$ FOO_VERBOSE= node examples/foo.js # not set
|
||
|
# opts: { _order: [], _args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ FOO_VERBOSE=0 node examples/foo.js # '0' is false
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ false ],
|
||
|
_order: [ { key: 'verbose', value: false, from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ FOO_VERBOSE=1 node examples/foo.js # true
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ true ],
|
||
|
_order: [ { key: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ FOO_VERBOSE=boogabooga node examples/foo.js # true
|
||
|
# opts: { verbose: [ true ],
|
||
|
_order: [ { key: 'verbose', value: true, from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
Non-booleans can be used as well. Strings:
|
||
|
|
||
|
```shell
|
||
|
$ FOO_FILE=data.txt node examples/foo.js
|
||
|
# opts: { file: 'data.txt',
|
||
|
_order: [ { key: 'file', value: 'data.txt', from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
Numbers:
|
||
|
|
||
|
```shell
|
||
|
$ FOO_TIMEOUT=5000 node examples/foo.js
|
||
|
# opts: { timeout: 5000,
|
||
|
_order: [ { key: 'timeout', value: 5000, from: 'env' } ],
|
||
|
_args: [] }
|
||
|
# args: []
|
||
|
|
||
|
$ FOO_TIMEOUT=blarg node examples/foo.js
|
||
|
foo: error: arg for "FOO_TIMEOUT" is not a positive integer: "blarg"
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
With the `includeEnv: true` config to `parser.help()` the environment
|
||
|
variable can also be included in **help output**:
|
||
|
|
||
|
usage: node foo.js [OPTIONS]
|
||
|
options:
|
||
|
--version Print tool version and exit.
|
||
|
-h, --help Print this help and exit.
|
||
|
-v, --verbose Verbose output. Use multiple times for more verbose.
|
||
|
Environment: FOO_VERBOSE=1
|
||
|
-f FILE, --file=FILE File to process
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Bash completion
|
||
|
|
||
|
Dashdash provides a simple way to create a Bash completion file that you
|
||
|
can place in your "bash_completion.d" directory -- sometimes that is
|
||
|
"/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/"). Features:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- Support for short and long opts
|
||
|
- Support for knowing which options take arguments
|
||
|
- Support for subcommands (e.g. 'git log <TAB>' to show just options for the
|
||
|
log subcommand). See
|
||
|
[node-cmdln](https://github.com/trentm/node-cmdln#bash-completion) for
|
||
|
how to integrate that.
|
||
|
- Does the right thing with "--" to stop options.
|
||
|
- Custom optarg and arg types for custom completions.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Dashdash will return bash completion file content given a parser instance:
|
||
|
|
||
|
var parser = dashdash.createParser({options: options});
|
||
|
console.log( parser.bashCompletion({name: 'mycli'}) );
|
||
|
|
||
|
or directly from a `options` array of options specs:
|
||
|
|
||
|
var code = dashdash.bashCompletionFromOptions({
|
||
|
name: 'mycli',
|
||
|
options: OPTIONS
|
||
|
});
|
||
|
|
||
|
Write that content to "/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/mycli" and you will
|
||
|
have Bash completions for `mycli`. Alternatively you can write it to
|
||
|
any file (e.g. "~/.bashrc") and source it.
|
||
|
|
||
|
You could add a `--completion` hidden option to your tool that emits the
|
||
|
completion content and document for your users to call that to install
|
||
|
Bash completions.
|
||
|
|
||
|
See [examples/ddcompletion.js](examples/ddcompletion.js) for a complete
|
||
|
example, including how one can define bash functions for completion of custom
|
||
|
option types. Also see [node-cmdln](https://github.com/trentm/node-cmdln) for
|
||
|
how it uses this for Bash completion for full multi-subcommand tools.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- TODO: document specExtra
|
||
|
- TODO: document includeHidden
|
||
|
- TODO: document custom types, `function complete\_FOO` guide, completionType
|
||
|
- TODO: document argtypes
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Parser config
|
||
|
|
||
|
Parser construction (i.e. `dashdash.createParser(CONFIG)`) takes the
|
||
|
following fields:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `options` (Array of option specs). Required. See the
|
||
|
[Option specs](#option-specs) section below.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `interspersed` (Boolean). Optional. Default is true. If true this allows
|
||
|
interspersed arguments and options. I.e.:
|
||
|
|
||
|
node ./tool.js -v arg1 arg2 -h # '-h' is after interspersed args
|
||
|
|
||
|
Set it to false to have '-h' **not** get parsed as an option in the above
|
||
|
example.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `allowUnknown` (Boolean). Optional. Default is false. If false, this causes
|
||
|
unknown arguments to throw an error. I.e.:
|
||
|
|
||
|
node ./tool.js -v arg1 --afe8asefksjefhas
|
||
|
|
||
|
Set it to true to treat the unknown option as a positional
|
||
|
argument.
|
||
|
|
||
|
**Caveat**: When a shortopt group, such as `-xaz` contains a mix of
|
||
|
known and unknown options, the *entire* group is passed through
|
||
|
unmolested as a positional argument.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Consider if you have a known short option `-a`, and parse the
|
||
|
following command line:
|
||
|
|
||
|
node ./tool.js -xaz
|
||
|
|
||
|
where `-x` and `-z` are unknown. There are multiple ways to
|
||
|
interpret this:
|
||
|
|
||
|
1. `-x` takes a value: `{x: 'az'}`
|
||
|
2. `-x` and `-z` are both booleans: `{x:true,a:true,z:true}`
|
||
|
|
||
|
Since dashdash does not know what `-x` and `-z` are, it can't know
|
||
|
if you'd prefer to receive `{a:true,_args:['-x','-z']}` or
|
||
|
`{x:'az'}`, or `{_args:['-xaz']}`. Leaving the positional arg unprocessed
|
||
|
is the easiest mistake for the user to recover from.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Option specs
|
||
|
|
||
|
Example using all fields (required fields are noted):
|
||
|
|
||
|
```javascript
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: ['file', 'f'], // Required (one of `names` or `name`).
|
||
|
type: 'string', // Required.
|
||
|
completionType: 'filename',
|
||
|
env: 'MYTOOL_FILE',
|
||
|
help: 'Config file to load before running "mytool"',
|
||
|
helpArg: 'PATH',
|
||
|
helpWrap: false,
|
||
|
default: path.resolve(process.env.HOME, '.mytoolrc')
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
Each option spec in the `options` array must/can have the following fields:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `name` (String) or `names` (Array). Required. These give the option name
|
||
|
and aliases. The first name (if more than one given) is the key for the
|
||
|
parsed `opts` object.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `type` (String). Required. One of:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- bool
|
||
|
- string
|
||
|
- number
|
||
|
- integer
|
||
|
- positiveInteger
|
||
|
- date (epoch seconds, e.g. 1396031701, or ISO 8601 format
|
||
|
`YYYY-MM-DD[THH:MM:SS[.sss][Z]]`, e.g. "2014-03-28T18:35:01.489Z")
|
||
|
- arrayOfBool
|
||
|
- arrayOfString
|
||
|
- arrayOfNumber
|
||
|
- arrayOfInteger
|
||
|
- arrayOfPositiveInteger
|
||
|
- arrayOfDate
|
||
|
|
||
|
FWIW, these names attempt to match with asserts on
|
||
|
[assert-plus](https://github.com/mcavage/node-assert-plus).
|
||
|
You can add your own custom option types with `dashdash.addOptionType`.
|
||
|
See below.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `completionType` (String). Optional. This is used for [Bash
|
||
|
completion](#bash-completion) for an option argument. If not specified,
|
||
|
then the value of `type` is used. Any string may be specified, but only the
|
||
|
following values have meaning:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `none`: Provide no completions.
|
||
|
- `file`: Bash's default completion (i.e. `complete -o default`), which
|
||
|
includes filenames.
|
||
|
- *Any string FOO for which a `function complete_FOO` Bash function is
|
||
|
defined.* This is for custom completions for a given tool. Typically
|
||
|
these custom functions are provided in the `specExtra` argument to
|
||
|
`dashdash.bashCompletionFromOptions()`. See
|
||
|
["examples/ddcompletion.js"](examples/ddcompletion.js) for an example.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `env` (String or Array of String). Optional. An environment variable name
|
||
|
(or names) that can be used as a fallback for this option. For example,
|
||
|
given a "foo.js" like this:
|
||
|
|
||
|
var options = [{names: ['dry-run', 'n'], env: 'FOO_DRY_RUN'}];
|
||
|
var opts = dashdash.parse({options: options});
|
||
|
|
||
|
Both `node foo.js --dry-run` and `FOO_DRY_RUN=1 node foo.js` would result
|
||
|
in `opts.dry_run = true`.
|
||
|
|
||
|
An environment variable is only used as a fallback, i.e. it is ignored if
|
||
|
the associated option is given in `argv`.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `help` (String). Optional. Used for `parser.help()` output.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `helpArg` (String). Optional. Used in help output as the placeholder for
|
||
|
the option argument, e.g. the "PATH" in:
|
||
|
|
||
|
...
|
||
|
-f PATH, --file=PATH File to process
|
||
|
...
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `helpWrap` (Boolean). Optional, default true. Set this to `false` to have
|
||
|
that option's `help` *not* be text wrapped in `<parser>.help()` output.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `default`. Optional. A default value used for this option, if the
|
||
|
option isn't specified in argv.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `hidden` (Boolean). Optional, default false. If true, help output will not
|
||
|
include this option. See also the `includeHidden` option to
|
||
|
`bashCompletionFromOptions()` for [Bash completion](#bash-completion).
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Option group headings
|
||
|
|
||
|
You can add headings between option specs in the `options` array. To do so,
|
||
|
simply add an object with only a `group` property -- the string to print as
|
||
|
the heading for the subsequent options in the array. For example:
|
||
|
|
||
|
```javascript
|
||
|
var options = [
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
group: 'Armament Options'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: [ 'weapon', 'w' ],
|
||
|
type: 'string'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
group: 'General Options'
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
{
|
||
|
names: [ 'help', 'h' ],
|
||
|
type: 'bool'
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
];
|
||
|
...
|
||
|
```
|
||
|
|
||
|
Note: You can use an empty string, `{group: ''}`, to get a blank line in help
|
||
|
output between groups of options.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Help config
|
||
|
|
||
|
The `parser.help(...)` function is configurable as follows:
|
||
|
|
||
|
Options:
|
||
|
Armament Options:
|
||
|
^^ -w WEAPON, --weapon=WEAPON Weapon with which to crush. One of: |
|
||
|
/ sword, spear, maul |
|
||
|
/ General Options: |
|
||
|
/ -h, --help Print this help and exit. |
|
||
|
/ ^^^^ ^ |
|
||
|
\ `-- indent `-- helpCol maxCol ---'
|
||
|
`-- headingIndent
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `indent` (Number or String). Default 4. Set to a number (for that many
|
||
|
spaces) or a string for the literal indent.
|
||
|
- `headingIndent` (Number or String). Default half length of `indent`. Set to
|
||
|
a number (for that many spaces) or a string for the literal indent. This
|
||
|
indent applies to group heading lines, between normal option lines.
|
||
|
- `nameSort` (String). Default is 'length'. By default the names are
|
||
|
sorted to put the short opts first (i.e. '-h, --help' preferred
|
||
|
to '--help, -h'). Set to 'none' to not do this sorting.
|
||
|
- `maxCol` (Number). Default 80. Note that reflow is just done on whitespace
|
||
|
so a long token in the option help can overflow maxCol.
|
||
|
- `helpCol` (Number). If not set a reasonable value will be determined
|
||
|
between `minHelpCol` and `maxHelpCol`.
|
||
|
- `minHelpCol` (Number). Default 20.
|
||
|
- `maxHelpCol` (Number). Default 40.
|
||
|
- `helpWrap` (Boolean). Default true. Set to `false` to have option `help`
|
||
|
strings *not* be textwrapped to the helpCol..maxCol range.
|
||
|
- `includeEnv` (Boolean). Default false. If the option has associated
|
||
|
environment variables (via the `env` option spec attribute), then
|
||
|
append mentioned of those envvars to the help string.
|
||
|
- `includeDefault` (Boolean). Default false. If the option has a default value
|
||
|
(via the `default` option spec attribute, or a default on the option's type),
|
||
|
then a "Default: VALUE" string will be appended to the help string.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Custom option types
|
||
|
|
||
|
Dashdash includes a good starter set of option types that it will parse for
|
||
|
you. However, you can add your own via:
|
||
|
|
||
|
var dashdash = require('dashdash');
|
||
|
dashdash.addOptionType({
|
||
|
name: '...',
|
||
|
takesArg: true,
|
||
|
helpArg: '...',
|
||
|
parseArg: function (option, optstr, arg) {
|
||
|
...
|
||
|
},
|
||
|
array: false, // optional
|
||
|
arrayFlatten: false, // optional
|
||
|
default: ..., // optional
|
||
|
completionType: ... // optional
|
||
|
});
|
||
|
|
||
|
For example, a simple option type that accepts 'yes', 'y', 'no' or 'n' as
|
||
|
a boolean argument would look like:
|
||
|
|
||
|
var dashdash = require('dashdash');
|
||
|
|
||
|
function parseYesNo(option, optstr, arg) {
|
||
|
var argLower = arg.toLowerCase()
|
||
|
if (~['yes', 'y'].indexOf(argLower)) {
|
||
|
return true;
|
||
|
} else if (~['no', 'n'].indexOf(argLower)) {
|
||
|
return false;
|
||
|
} else {
|
||
|
throw new Error(format(
|
||
|
'arg for "%s" is not "yes" or "no": "%s"',
|
||
|
optstr, arg));
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
}
|
||
|
|
||
|
dashdash.addOptionType({
|
||
|
name: 'yesno'
|
||
|
takesArg: true,
|
||
|
helpArg: '<yes|no>',
|
||
|
parseArg: parseYesNo
|
||
|
});
|
||
|
|
||
|
var options = {
|
||
|
{names: ['answer', 'a'], type: 'yesno'}
|
||
|
};
|
||
|
var opts = dashdash.parse({options: options});
|
||
|
|
||
|
See "examples/custom-option-\*.js" for other examples.
|
||
|
See the `addOptionType` block comment in "lib/dashdash.js" for more details.
|
||
|
Please let me know [with an
|
||
|
issue](https://github.com/trentm/node-dashdash/issues/new) if you write a
|
||
|
generally useful one.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# Why
|
||
|
|
||
|
Why another node.js option parsing lib?
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `nopt` really is just for "tools like npm". Implicit opts (e.g. '--no-foo'
|
||
|
works for every '--foo'). Can't disable abbreviated opts. Can't do multiple
|
||
|
usages of same opt, e.g. '-vvv' (I think). Can't do grouped short opts.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `optimist` has surprise interpretation of options (at least to me).
|
||
|
Implicit opts mean ambiguities and poor error handling for fat-fingering.
|
||
|
`process.exit` calls makes it hard to use as a libary.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `optparse` Incomplete docs. Is this an attempted clone of Python's `optparse`.
|
||
|
Not clear. Some divergence. `parser.on("name", ...)` API is weird.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `argparse` Dep on underscore. No thanks just for option processing.
|
||
|
`find lib | wc -l` -> `26`. Overkill.
|
||
|
Argparse is a bit different anyway. Not sure I want that.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- `posix-getopt` No type validation. Though that isn't a killer. AFAIK can't
|
||
|
have a long opt without a short alias. I.e. no `getopt_long` semantics.
|
||
|
Also, no whizbang features like generated help output.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- ["commander.js"](https://github.com/visionmedia/commander.js): I wrote
|
||
|
[a critique](http://trentm.com/2014/01/a-critique-of-commander-for-nodejs.html)
|
||
|
a while back. It seems fine, but last I checked had
|
||
|
[an outstanding bug](https://github.com/visionmedia/commander.js/pull/121)
|
||
|
that would prevent me from using it.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
# License
|
||
|
|
||
|
MIT. See LICENSE.txt.
|