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+Parses raw command-line arguments into a set of options and values. |
+ |
+This library supports [GNU][] and [POSIX][] style options, and it works |
+in both server-side and client-side apps. |
+ |
+## Defining options |
+ |
+First create an [ArgParser][]: |
+ |
+ var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+ |
+Then define a set of options on that parser using [addOption()][addOption] and |
+[addFlag()][addFlag]. Here's the minimal way to create an option named "name": |
+ |
+ parser.addOption('name'); |
+ |
+When an option can only be set or unset (as opposed to taking a string value), |
+use a flag: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addFlag('name'); |
+``` |
+ |
+Flag options, by default, accept a 'no-' prefix to negate the option. You can |
+disable the 'no-' prefix using the `negatable` parameter: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addFlag('name', negatable: false); |
+``` |
+ |
+*Note:* From here on out, "option" refers to both regular options and flags. In |
+cases where the distinction matters, we'll use "non-flag option." |
+ |
+Options can have an optional single-character abbreviation, specified with the |
+`abbr` parameter: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('mode', abbr: 'm'); |
+parser.addFlag('verbose', abbr: 'v'); |
+``` |
+ |
+Options can also have a default value, specified with the `defaultsTo` |
+parameter. The default value is used when arguments don't specify the option. |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('mode', defaultsTo: 'debug'); |
+parser.addFlag('verbose', defaultsTo: false); |
+``` |
+ |
+The default value for non-flag options can be any string. For flags, it must |
+be a `bool`. |
+ |
+To validate a non-flag option, you can use the `allowed` parameter to provide an |
+allowed set of values. When you do, the parser throws a [FormatException] if the |
+value for an option is not in the allowed set. Here's an example of specifying |
+allowed values: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('mode', allowed: ['debug', 'release']); |
+``` |
+ |
+You can use the `callback` parameter to associate a function with an option. |
+Later, when parsing occurs, the callback function is invoked with the value of |
+the option: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('mode', callback: (mode) => print('Got mode $mode')); |
+parser.addFlag('verbose', callback: (verbose) { |
+ if (verbose) print('Verbose'); |
+}); |
+``` |
+ |
+The callbacks for all options are called whenever a set of arguments is parsed. |
+If an option isn't provided in the args, its callback is passed the default |
+value, or `null` if no default value is set. |
+ |
+## Parsing arguments |
+ |
+Once you have an [ArgParser][] set up with some options and flags, you use it by |
+calling [ArgParser.parse()][parse] with a set of arguments: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var results = parser.parse(['some', 'command', 'line', 'args']); |
+``` |
+ |
+These arguments usually come from the arguments to `main()`. For example: |
+ |
+ main(List<String> args) { |
+ // ... |
+ var results = parser.parse(args); |
+ } |
+ |
+However, you can pass in any list of strings. The `parse()` method returns an |
+instance of [ArgResults][], a map-like object that contains the values of the |
+parsed options. |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addOption('mode'); |
+parser.addFlag('verbose', defaultsTo: true); |
+var results = parser.parse(['--mode', 'debug', 'something', 'else']); |
+ |
+print(results['mode']); // debug |
+print(results['verbose']); // true |
+``` |
+ |
+By default, the `parse()` method stops as soon as it reaches `--` by itself or |
+anything that the parser doesn't recognize as an option, flag, or option value. |
+If arguments still remain, they go into [ArgResults.rest][rest]. |
+ |
+```dart |
+print(results.rest); // ['something', 'else'] |
+``` |
+ |
+To continue to parse options found after non-option arguments, pass |
+`allowTrailingOptions: true` when creating the [ArgParser][]. |
+ |
+## Specifying options |
+ |
+To actually pass in options and flags on the command line, use GNU or POSIX |
+style. Consider this option: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('name', abbr: 'n'); |
+``` |
+ |
+You can specify its value on the command line using any of the following: |
+ |
+``` |
+--name=somevalue |
+--name somevalue |
+-nsomevalue |
+-n somevalue |
+``` |
+ |
+Consider this flag: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addFlag('name', abbr: 'n'); |
+``` |
+ |
+You can set it to true using one of the following: |
+ |
+``` |
+--name |
+-n |
+``` |
+ |
+You can set it to false using the following: |
+ |
+``` |
+--no-name |
+``` |
+ |
+Multiple flag abbreviations can be collapsed into a single argument. Say you |
+define these flags: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser |
+ ..addFlag('verbose', abbr: 'v') |
+ ..addFlag('french', abbr: 'f') |
+ ..addFlag('iambic-pentameter', abbr: 'i'); |
+``` |
+ |
+You can set all three flags at once: |
+ |
+``` |
+-vfi |
+``` |
+ |
+By default, an option has only a single value, with later option values |
+overriding earlier ones; for example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addOption('mode'); |
+var results = parser.parse(['--mode', 'on', '--mode', 'off']); |
+print(results['mode']); // prints 'off' |
+``` |
+ |
+If you need multiple values, set the `allowMultiple` parameter. In that case the |
+option can occur multiple times, and the `parse()` method returns a list of |
+values: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addOption('mode', allowMultiple: true); |
+var results = parser.parse(['--mode', 'on', '--mode', 'off']); |
+print(results['mode']); // prints '[on, off]' |
+``` |
+ |
+By default, values for a multi-valued option may also be separated with commas: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addOption('mode', allowMultiple: true); |
+var results = parser.parse(['--mode', 'on,off']); |
+print(results['mode']); // prints '[on, off]' |
+``` |
+ |
+This can be disabled by passing `splitCommas: false`. |
+ |
+## Defining commands ## |
+ |
+In addition to *options*, you can also define *commands*. A command is a named |
+argument that has its own set of options. For example, consider this shell |
+command: |
+ |
+``` |
+$ git commit -a |
+``` |
+ |
+The executable is `git`, the command is `commit`, and the `-a` option is an |
+option passed to the command. You can add a command using the [addCommand][] |
+method: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+var command = parser.addCommand('commit'); |
+``` |
+ |
+It returns another [ArgParser][], which you can then use to define options |
+specific to that command. If you already have an [ArgParser][] for the command's |
+options, you can pass it in: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+var command = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addCommand('commit', command); |
+``` |
+ |
+The [ArgParser][] for a command can then define options or flags: |
+ |
+```dart |
+command.addFlag('all', abbr: 'a'); |
+``` |
+ |
+You can add multiple commands to the same parser so that a user can select one |
+from a range of possible commands. When parsing an argument list, you can then |
+determine which command was entered and what options were provided for it. |
+ |
+```dart |
+var results = parser.parse(['commit', '-a']); |
+print(results.command.name); // "commit" |
+print(results.command['all']); // true |
+``` |
+ |
+Options for a command must appear after the command in the argument list. For |
+example, given the above parser, `"git -a commit"` is *not* valid. The parser |
+tries to find the right-most command that accepts an option. For example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var parser = new ArgParser(); |
+parser.addFlag('all', abbr: 'a'); |
+var command = parser.addCommand('commit'); |
+command.addFlag('all', abbr: 'a'); |
+ |
+var results = parser.parse(['commit', '-a']); |
+print(results.command['all']); // true |
+``` |
+ |
+Here, both the top-level parser and the `"commit"` command can accept a `"-a"` |
+(which is probably a bad command line interface, admittedly). In that case, when |
+`"-a"` appears after `"commit"`, it is applied to that command. If it appears to |
+the left of `"commit"`, it is given to the top-level parser. |
+ |
+## Dispatching Commands |
+ |
+If you're writing a command-based application, you can use the [CommandRunner][] |
+and [Command][] classes to help structure it. [CommandRunner][] has built-in |
+support for dispatching to [Command][]s based on command-line arguments, as well |
+as handling `--help` flags and invalid arguments. For example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+var runner = new CommandRunner("git", "Distributed version control.") |
+ ..addCommand(new CommitCommand()) |
+ ..addCommand(new StashCommand()) |
+ ..run(['commit', '-a']); // Calls [CommitCommand.run()] |
+``` |
+ |
+Custom commands are defined by extending the [Command][] class. For example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+class CommitCommand extends Command { |
+ // The [name] and [description] properties must be defined by every |
+ // subclass. |
+ final name = "commit"; |
+ final description = "Record changes to the repository."; |
+ |
+ CommitCommand() { |
+ // [argParser] is automatically created by the parent class. |
+ argParser.addFlag('all', abbr: 'a'); |
+ } |
+ |
+ // [run] may also return a Future. |
+ void run() { |
+ // [options] is set before [run()] is called and contains the options |
+ // passed to this command. |
+ print(options['all']); |
+ } |
+} |
+``` |
+ |
+Commands can also have subcommands, which are added with [addSubcommand][]. A |
+command with subcommands can't run its own code, so [run][] doesn't need to be |
+implemented. For example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+class StashCommand extends Command { |
+ final String name = "stash"; |
+ final String description = "Stash changes in the working directory."; |
+ |
+ StashCommand() { |
+ addSubcommand(new StashSaveCommand()); |
+ addSubcommand(new StashListCommand()); |
+ } |
+} |
+``` |
+ |
+[CommandRunner][] automatically adds a `help` command that displays usage |
+information for commands, as well as support for the `--help` flag for all |
+commands. If it encounters an error parsing the arguments or processing a |
+command, it throws a [UsageError][]; your `main()` method should catch these and |
+print them appropriately. For example: |
+ |
+```dart |
+runner.run(arguments).catchError((error) { |
+ if (error is! UsageError) throw error; |
+ print(error); |
+ exit(64); // Exit code 64 indicates a usage error. |
+}); |
+``` |
+ |
+## Displaying usage |
+ |
+You can automatically generate nice help text, suitable for use as the output of |
+`--help`. To display good usage information, you should provide some help text |
+when you create your options. |
+ |
+To define help text for an entire option, use the `help:` parameter: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('mode', help: 'The compiler configuration', |
+ allowed: ['debug', 'release']); |
+parser.addFlag('verbose', help: 'Show additional diagnostic info'); |
+``` |
+ |
+For non-flag options, you can also provide a help string for the parameter: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('out', help: 'The output path', valueHelp: 'path', |
+ allowed: ['debug', 'release']); |
+``` |
+ |
+For non-flag options, you can also provide detailed help for each expected value |
+by using the `allowedHelp:` parameter: |
+ |
+```dart |
+parser.addOption('arch', help: 'The architecture to compile for', |
+ allowedHelp: { |
+ 'ia32': 'Intel x86', |
+ 'arm': 'ARM Holding 32-bit chip' |
+ }); |
+``` |
+ |
+To display the help, use the [getUsage()][getUsage] method: |
+ |
+```dart |
+print(parser.getUsage()); |
+``` |
+ |
+The resulting string looks something like this: |
+ |
+``` |
+--mode The compiler configuration |
+ [debug, release] |
+ |
+--out=<path> The output path |
+--[no-]verbose Show additional diagnostic info |
+--arch The architecture to compile for |
+ [arm] ARM Holding 32-bit chip |
+ [ia32] Intel x86 |
+``` |
+ |
+[posix]: http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/basedefs/xbd_chap12.html#tag_12_02 |
+[gnu]: http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html#Command_002dLine-Interfaces |
+[ArgParser]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser |
+[ArgResults]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgResults |
+[CommandRunner]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.CommandRunner |
+[Command]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.Command |
+[UsageError]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.UsageError |
+[addOption]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser@id_addOption |
+[addFlag]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser@id_addFlag |
+[parse]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser@id_parse |
+[rest]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgResults@id_rest |
+[addCommand]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser@id_addCommand |
+[getUsage]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.ArgParser@id_getUsage |
+[addSubcommand]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.Command@id_addSubcommand |
+[run]: http://www.dartdocs.org/documentation/args/latest/index.html#args/args.Command@id_run |