CmdParameter

Version 0.4.4

CmdParameter is a library for handling command line parameters in C++.

Its goals are:

• make it as simple as feasible to define parameters and use them
• make it easy to add new parameter types
• define command definitions (internally called 'actions')

Note that these are very different goals from making this simple. The downside is that this code becomes more complex. I think this is a worthwhile tradeoff.

To be more specific:

• Declarative definitions - The command line parameters are defined in a structure separate from program code.
• Allow commands - Commands of the form app command {options} are allowed and handled
• Extensive validation and checking of values - ensure that anything will be correct upon usage, in an extensible way.
• Arbitrarily large help text - start small, add more as required without limit.

---

Example

This definition, taken from the Simple example program:

CmdParameters params = {
  "Simple test with single integer command line parameters\n",
  {{
    "An integer value",
    "-int=",
    INTEGER,
    "This value can be any integer"
  }}
};
};

Leads to the following output:

> ./Simple -h
Simple test with single integer command line parameters

Options:

    -h          Show this information. Overrides all other parameters.
    -int=<num>  This value can be any integer; default '0'.

Notes:

 * Global options can appear in any position on the command line after the program name.

> ./Simple -int=hello
Error(s) on command line:
  The value for field 'An integer value' is not a number.

  Use switch '-h' to view options

> ./Simple -int
Error(s) on command line:
  Parameter 'An integer value' (-int) takes a value, none specified.

  Use switch '-h' to view options

> ./Simple -int=
Error(s) on command line:
  Parameter 'An integer value' (-int) takes a value, none specified.

  Use switch '-h' to view options

> ./Simple -int=42
switch value: 42

---

TODO

• Make an example which contains ALL options types and combinations with actions Put the struct and the help output in this README.
• Allow concatenated short options (no parameters), e.g. -AaBb
• make test should build DEBUG version of code