From 15f34685e7a9b5caf761af2ebf6afa20438d440b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: gcc Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:18:26 +0000 Subject: Import glibc-mainline for 2006-08-16 git-svn-id: svn://svn.eglibc.org/fsf/trunk@4 7b3dc134-2b1b-0410-93df-9e9f96275f8d --- libc/manual/argp.texi | 1167 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 1167 insertions(+) create mode 100644 libc/manual/argp.texi (limited to 'libc/manual/argp.texi') diff --git a/libc/manual/argp.texi b/libc/manual/argp.texi new file mode 100644 index 000000000..090d49f7a --- /dev/null +++ b/libc/manual/argp.texi @@ -0,0 +1,1167 @@ +@node Argp, Suboptions, Getopt, Parsing Program Arguments +@need 5000 +@section Parsing Program Options with Argp +@cindex argp (program argument parser) +@cindex argument parsing with argp +@cindex option parsing with argp + +@dfn{Argp} is an interface for parsing unix-style argument vectors. +@xref{Program Arguments}. + +Argp provides features unavailable in the more commonly used +@code{getopt} interface. These features include automatically producing +output in response to the @samp{--help} and @samp{--version} options, as +described in the GNU coding standards. Using argp makes it less likely +that programmers will neglect to implement these additional options or +keep them up to date. + +Argp also provides the ability to merge several independently defined +option parsers into one, mediating conflicts between them and making the +result appear seamless. A library can export an argp option parser that +user programs might employ in conjunction with their own option parsers, +resulting in less work for the user programs. Some programs may use only +argument parsers exported by libraries, thereby achieving consistent and +efficient option-parsing for abstractions implemented by the libraries. + +@pindex argp.h +The header file @file{} should be included to use argp. + +@subsection The @code{argp_parse} Function + +The main interface to argp is the @code{argp_parse} function. In many +cases, calling @code{argp_parse} is the only argument-parsing code +needed in @code{main}. +@xref{Program Arguments}. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun {error_t} argp_parse (const struct argp *@var{argp}, int @var{argc}, char **@var{argv}, unsigned @var{flags}, int *@var{arg_index}, void *@var{input}) +The @code{argp_parse} function parses the arguments in @var{argv}, of +length @var{argc}, using the argp parser @var{argp}. @xref{Argp +Parsers}. + +A value of zero is the same as a @code{struct argp}containing all +zeros. @var{flags} is a set of flag bits that modify the parsing +behavior. @xref{Argp Flags}. @var{input} is passed through to the argp +parser @var{argp}, and has meaning defined by @var{argp}. A typical +usage is to pass a pointer to a structure which is used for specifying +parameters to the parser and passing back the results. + +Unless the @code{ARGP_NO_EXIT} or @code{ARGP_NO_HELP} flags are included +in @var{flags}, calling @code{argp_parse} may result in the program +exiting. This behavior is true if an error is detected, or when an +unknown option is encountered. @xref{Program Termination}. + +If @var{arg_index} is non-null, the index of the first unparsed option +in @var{argv} is returned as a value. + +The return value is zero for successful parsing, or an error code +(@pxref{Error Codes}) if an error is detected. Different argp parsers +may return arbitrary error codes, but the standard error codes are: +@code{ENOMEM} if a memory allocation error occurred, or @code{EINVAL} if +an unknown option or option argument is encountered. +@end deftypefun + +@menu +* Globals: Argp Global Variables. Global argp parameters. +* Parsers: Argp Parsers. Defining parsers for use with @code{argp_parse}. +* Flags: Argp Flags. Flags that modify the behavior of @code{argp_parse}. +* Help: Argp Help. Printing help messages when not parsing. +* Examples: Argp Examples. Simple examples of programs using argp. +* Customization: Argp User Customization. + Users may control the @samp{--help} output format. +@end menu + +@node Argp Global Variables, Argp Parsers, , Argp +@subsection Argp Global Variables + +These variables make it easy for user programs to implement the +@samp{--version} option and provide a bug-reporting address in the +@samp{--help} output. These are implemented in argp by default. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypevar {const char *} argp_program_version +If defined or set by the user program to a non-zero value, then a +@samp{--version} option is added when parsing with @code{argp_parse}, +which will print the @samp{--version} string followed by a newline and +exit. The exception to this is if the @code{ARGP_NO_EXIT} flag is used. +@end deftypevar + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypevar {const char *} argp_program_bug_address +If defined or set by the user program to a non-zero value, +@code{argp_program_bug_address} should point to a string that will be +printed at the end of the standard output for the @samp{--help} option, +embedded in a sentence that says @samp{Report bugs to @var{address}.}. +@end deftypevar + +@need 1500 +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@defvar argp_program_version_hook +If defined or set by the user program to a non-zero value, a +@samp{--version} option is added when parsing with @code{arg_parse}, +which prints the program version and exits with a status of zero. This +is not the case if the @code{ARGP_NO_HELP} flag is used. If the +@code{ARGP_NO_EXIT} flag is set, the exit behavior of the program is +suppressed or modified, as when the argp parser is going to be used by +other programs. + +It should point to a function with this type of signature: + +@smallexample +void @var{print-version} (FILE *@var{stream}, struct argp_state *@var{state}) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +@xref{Argp Parsing State}, for an explanation of @var{state}. + +This variable takes precedence over @code{argp_program_version}, and is +useful if a program has version information not easily expressed in a +simple string. +@end defvar + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypevar error_t argp_err_exit_status +This is the exit status used when argp exits due to a parsing error. If +not defined or set by the user program, this defaults to: +@code{EX_USAGE} from @file{}. +@end deftypevar + +@node Argp Parsers, Argp Flags, Argp Global Variables, Argp +@subsection Specifying Argp Parsers + +The first argument to the @code{argp_parse} function is a pointer to a +@code{struct argp}, which is known as an @dfn{argp parser}: + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftp {Data Type} {struct argp} +This structure specifies how to parse a given set of options and +arguments, perhaps in conjunction with other argp parsers. It has the +following fields: + +@table @code +@item const struct argp_option *options +A pointer to a vector of @code{argp_option} structures specifying which +options this argp parser understands; it may be zero if there are no +options at all. @xref{Argp Option Vectors}. + +@item argp_parser_t parser +A pointer to a function that defines actions for this parser; it is +called for each option parsed, and at other well-defined points in the +parsing process. A value of zero is the same as a pointer to a function +that always returns @code{ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN}. @xref{Argp Parser +Functions}. + +@item const char *args_doc +If non-zero, a string describing what non-option arguments are called by +this parser. This is only used to print the @samp{Usage:} message. If +it contains newlines, the strings separated by them are considered +alternative usage patterns and printed on separate lines. Lines after +the first are prefixed by @samp{ or: } instead of @samp{Usage:}. + +@item const char *doc +If non-zero, a string containing extra text to be printed before and +after the options in a long help message, with the two sections +separated by a vertical tab (@code{'\v'}, @code{'\013'}) character. By +convention, the documentation before the options is just a short string +explaining what the program does. Documentation printed after the +options describe behavior in more detail. + +@item const struct argp_child *children +A pointer to a vector of @code{argp_children} structures. This pointer +specifies which additional argp parsers should be combined with this +one. @xref{Argp Children}. + +@item char *(*help_filter)(int @var{key}, const char *@var{text}, void *@var{input}) +If non-zero, a pointer to a function that filters the output of help +messages. @xref{Argp Help Filtering}. + +@item const char *argp_domain +If non-zero, the strings used in the argp library are translated using +the domain described by this string. If zero, the current default domain +is used. + +@end table +@end deftp + +Of the above group, @code{options}, @code{parser}, @code{args_doc}, and +the @code{doc} fields are usually all that are needed. If an argp +parser is defined as an initialized C variable, only the fields used +need be specified in the initializer. The rest will default to zero due +to the way C structure initialization works. This design is exploited in +most argp structures; the most-used fields are grouped near the +beginning, the unused fields left unspecified. + +@menu +* Options: Argp Option Vectors. Specifying options in an argp parser. +* Argp Parser Functions:: Defining actions for an argp parser. +* Children: Argp Children. Combining multiple argp parsers. +* Help Filtering: Argp Help Filtering. Customizing help output for an argp parser. +@end menu + +@node Argp Option Vectors, Argp Parser Functions, Argp Parsers, Argp Parsers +@subsection Specifying Options in an Argp Parser + +The @code{options} field in a @code{struct argp} points to a vector of +@code{struct argp_option} structures, each of which specifies an option +that the argp parser supports. Multiple entries may be used for a single +option provided it has multiple names. This should be terminated by an +entry with zero in all fields. Note that when using an initialized C +array for options, writing @code{@{ 0 @}} is enough to achieve this. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftp {Data Type} {struct argp_option} +This structure specifies a single option that an argp parser +understands, as well as how to parse and document that option. It has +the following fields: + +@table @code +@item const char *name +The long name for this option, corresponding to the long option +@samp{--@var{name}}; this field may be zero if this option @emph{only} +has a short name. To specify multiple names for an option, additional +entries may follow this one, with the @code{OPTION_ALIAS} flag +set. @xref{Argp Option Flags}. + +@item int key +The integer key provided by the current option to the option parser. If +@var{key} has a value that is a printable @sc{ascii} character (i.e., +@code{isascii (@var{key})} is true), it @emph{also} specifies a short +option @samp{-@var{char}}, where @var{char} is the @sc{ascii} character +with the code @var{key}. + +@item const char *arg +If non-zero, this is the name of an argument associated with this +option, which must be provided (e.g., with the +@samp{--@var{name}=@var{value}} or @samp{-@var{char} @var{value}} +syntaxes), unless the @code{OPTION_ARG_OPTIONAL} flag (@pxref{Argp +Option Flags}) is set, in which case it @emph{may} be provided. + +@item int flags +Flags associated with this option, some of which are referred to above. +@xref{Argp Option Flags}. + +@item const char *doc +A documentation string for this option, for printing in help messages. + +If both the @code{name} and @code{key} fields are zero, this string +will be printed tabbed left from the normal option column, making it +useful as a group header. This will be the first thing printed in its +group. In this usage, it's conventional to end the string with a +@samp{:} character. + +@item int group +Group identity for this option. + +In a long help message, options are sorted alphabetically within each +group, and the groups presented in the order 0, 1, 2, @dots{}, @var{n}, +@minus{}@var{m}, @dots{}, @minus{}2, @minus{}1. + +Every entry in an options array with this field 0 will inherit the group +number of the previous entry, or zero if it's the first one. If it's a +group header with @code{name} and @code{key} fields both zero, the +previous entry + 1 is the default. Automagic options such as +@samp{--help} are put into group @minus{}1. + +Note that because of C structure initialization rules, this field often +need not be specified, because 0 is the correct value. +@end table +@end deftp + + +@menu +* Flags: Argp Option Flags. Flags for options. +@end menu + +@node Argp Option Flags, , , Argp Option Vectors +@subsubsection Flags for Argp Options + +The following flags may be or'd together in the @code{flags} field of a +@code{struct argp_option}. These flags control various aspects of how +that option is parsed or displayed in help messages: + + +@vtable @code +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item OPTION_ARG_OPTIONAL +The argument associated with this option is optional. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item OPTION_HIDDEN +This option isn't displayed in any help messages. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item OPTION_ALIAS +This option is an alias for the closest previous non-alias option. This +means that it will be displayed in the same help entry, and will inherit +fields other than @code{name} and @code{key} from the option being +aliased. + + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item OPTION_DOC +This option isn't actually an option and should be ignored by the actual +option parser. It is an arbitrary section of documentation that should +be displayed in much the same manner as the options. This is known as a +@dfn{documentation option}. + +If this flag is set, then the option @code{name} field is displayed +unmodified (e.g., no @samp{--} prefix is added) at the left-margin where +a @emph{short} option would normally be displayed, and this +documentation string is left in it's usual place. For purposes of +sorting, any leading whitespace and punctuation is ignored, unless the +first non-whitespace character is @samp{-}. This entry is displayed +after all options, after @code{OPTION_DOC} entries with a leading +@samp{-}, in the same group. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item OPTION_NO_USAGE +This option shouldn't be included in `long' usage messages, but should +still be included in other help messages. This is intended for options +that are completely documented in an argp's @code{args_doc} +field. @xref{Argp Parsers}. Including this option in the generic usage +list would be redundant, and should be avoided. + +For instance, if @code{args_doc} is @code{"FOO BAR\n-x BLAH"}, and the +@samp{-x} option's purpose is to distinguish these two cases, @samp{-x} +should probably be marked @code{OPTION_NO_USAGE}. +@end vtable + +@node Argp Parser Functions, Argp Children, Argp Option Vectors, Argp Parsers +@subsection Argp Parser Functions + +The function pointed to by the @code{parser} field in a @code{struct +argp} (@pxref{Argp Parsers}) defines what actions take place in response +to each option or argument parsed. It is also used as a hook, allowing a +parser to perform tasks at certain other points during parsing. + +@need 2000 +Argp parser functions have the following type signature: + +@cindex argp parser functions +@smallexample +error_t @var{parser} (int @var{key}, char *@var{arg}, struct argp_state *@var{state}) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +where the arguments are as follows: + +@table @var +@item key +For each option that is parsed, @var{parser} is called with a value of +@var{key} from that option's @code{key} field in the option +vector. @xref{Argp Option Vectors}. @var{parser} is also called at +other times with special reserved keys, such as @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG} for +non-option arguments. @xref{Argp Special Keys}. + +@item arg +If @var{key} is an option, @var{arg} is its given value. This defaults +to zero if no value is specified. Only options that have a non-zero +@code{arg} field can ever have a value. These must @emph{always} have a +value unless the @code{OPTION_ARG_OPTIONAL} flag is specified. If the +input being parsed specifies a value for an option that doesn't allow +one, an error results before @var{parser} ever gets called. + +If @var{key} is @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG}, @var{arg} is a non-option +argument. Other special keys always have a zero @var{arg}. + +@item state +@var{state} points to a @code{struct argp_state}, containing useful +information about the current parsing state for use by +@var{parser}. @xref{Argp Parsing State}. +@end table + +When @var{parser} is called, it should perform whatever action is +appropriate for @var{key}, and return @code{0} for success, +@code{ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN} if the value of @var{key} is not handled by this +parser function, or a unix error code if a real error +occurred. @xref{Error Codes}. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypevr Macro int ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN +Argp parser functions should return @code{ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN} for any +@var{key} value they do not recognize, or for non-option arguments +(@code{@var{key} == ARGP_KEY_ARG}) that they are not equipped to handle. +@end deftypevr + +@need 3000 +A typical parser function uses a switch statement on @var{key}: + +@smallexample +error_t +parse_opt (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state) +@{ + switch (key) + @{ + case @var{option_key}: + @var{action} + break; + @dots{} + default: + return ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN; + @} + return 0; +@} +@end smallexample + +@menu +* Keys: Argp Special Keys. Special values for the @var{key} argument. +* State: Argp Parsing State. What the @var{state} argument refers to. +* Functions: Argp Helper Functions. Functions to help during argp parsing. +@end menu + +@node Argp Special Keys, Argp Parsing State, , Argp Parser Functions +@subsubsection Special Keys for Argp Parser Functions + +In addition to key values corresponding to user options, the @var{key} +argument to argp parser functions may have a number of other special +values. In the following example @var{arg} and @var{state} refer to +parser function arguments. @xref{Argp Parser Functions}. + +@vtable @code +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_ARG +This is not an option at all, but rather a command line argument, whose +value is pointed to by @var{arg}. + +When there are multiple parser functions in play due to argp parsers +being combined, it's impossible to know which one will handle a specific +argument. Each is called until one returns 0 or an error other than +@code{ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN}; if an argument is not handled, +@code{argp_parse} immediately returns success, without parsing any more +arguments. + +Once a parser function returns success for this key, that fact is +recorded, and the @code{ARGP_KEY_NO_ARGS} case won't be +used. @emph{However}, if while processing the argument a parser function +decrements the @code{next} field of its @var{state} argument, the option +won't be considered processed; this is to allow you to actually modify +the argument, perhaps into an option, and have it processed again. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_ARGS +If a parser function returns @code{ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN} for +@code{ARGP_KEY_ARG}, it is immediately called again with the key +@code{ARGP_KEY_ARGS}, which has a similar meaning, but is slightly more +convenient for consuming all remaining arguments. @var{arg} is 0, and +the tail of the argument vector may be found at @code{@var{state}->argv ++ @var{state}->next}. If success is returned for this key, and +@code{@var{state}->next} is unchanged, all remaining arguments are +considered to have been consumed. Otherwise, the amount by which +@code{@var{state}->next} has been adjusted indicates how many were used. +Here's an example that uses both, for different args: + + +@smallexample +@dots{} +case ARGP_KEY_ARG: + if (@var{state}->arg_num == 0) + /* First argument */ + first_arg = @var{arg}; + else + /* Let the next case parse it. */ + return ARGP_KEY_UNKNOWN; + break; +case ARGP_KEY_ARGS: + remaining_args = @var{state}->argv + @var{state}->next; + num_remaining_args = @var{state}->argc - @var{state}->next; + break; +@end smallexample + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_END +This indicates that there are no more command line arguments. Parser +functions are called in a different order, children first. This allows +each parser to clean up its state for the parent. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_NO_ARGS +Because it's common to do some special processing if there aren't any +non-option args, parser functions are called with this key if they +didn't successfully process any non-option arguments. This is called +just before @code{ARGP_KEY_END}, where more general validity checks on +previously parsed arguments take place. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_INIT +This is passed in before any parsing is done. Afterwards, the values of +each element of the @code{child_input} field of @var{state}, if any, are +copied to each child's state to be the initial value of the @code{input} +when @emph{their} parsers are called. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS +Passed in when parsing has successfully been completed, even if +arguments remain. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_ERROR +Passed in if an error has occurred and parsing is terminated. In this +case a call with a key of @code{ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS} is never made. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_FINI +The final key ever seen by any parser, even after +@code{ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS} and @code{ARGP_KEY_ERROR}. Any resources +allocated by @code{ARGP_KEY_INIT} may be freed here. At times, certain +resources allocated are to be returned to the caller after a successful +parse. In that case, those particular resources can be freed in the +@code{ARGP_KEY_ERROR} case. +@end vtable + +In all cases, @code{ARGP_KEY_INIT} is the first key seen by parser +functions, and @code{ARGP_KEY_FINI} the last, unless an error was +returned by the parser for @code{ARGP_KEY_INIT}. Other keys can occur +in one the following orders. @var{opt} refers to an arbitrary option +key: + +@table @asis +@item @var{opt}@dots{} @code{ARGP_KEY_NO_ARGS} @code{ARGP_KEY_END} @code{ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS} +The arguments being parsed did not contain any non-option arguments. + +@item ( @var{opt} | @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG} )@dots{} @code{ARGP_KEY_END} @code{ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS} +All non-option arguments were successfully handled by a parser +function. There may be multiple parser functions if multiple argp +parsers were combined. + +@item ( @var{opt} | @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG} )@dots{} @code{ARGP_KEY_SUCCESS} +Some non-option argument went unrecognized. + +This occurs when every parser function returns @code{ARGP_KEY_UNKNOWN} +for an argument, in which case parsing stops at that argument if +@var{arg_index} is a null pointer. Otherwise an error occurs. +@end table + +In all cases, if a non-null value for @var{arg_index} gets passed to +@code{argp_parse}, the index of the first unparsed command-line argument +is passed back in that value. + +If an error occurs and is either detected by argp or because a parser +function returned an error value, each parser is called with +@code{ARGP_KEY_ERROR}. No further calls are made, except the final call +with @code{ARGP_KEY_FINI}. + +@node Argp Helper Functions, , Argp Parsing State, Argp Parser Functions +@subsubsection Functions For Use in Argp Parsers + +Argp provides a number of functions available to the user of argp +(@pxref{Argp Parser Functions}), mostly for producing error messages. +These take as their first argument the @var{state} argument to the +parser function. @xref{Argp Parsing State}. + + +@cindex usage messages, in argp +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun void argp_usage (const struct argp_state *@var{state}) +Outputs the standard usage message for the argp parser referred to by +@var{state} to @code{@var{state}->err_stream} and terminate the program +with @code{exit (argp_err_exit_status)}. @xref{Argp Global Variables}. +@end deftypefun + +@cindex syntax error messages, in argp +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun void argp_error (const struct argp_state *@var{state}, const char *@var{fmt}, @dots{}) +Prints the printf format string @var{fmt} and following args, preceded +by the program name and @samp{:}, and followed by a @w{@samp{Try @dots{} +--help}} message, and terminates the program with an exit status of +@code{argp_err_exit_status}. @xref{Argp Global Variables}. +@end deftypefun + +@cindex error messages, in argp +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun void argp_failure (const struct argp_state *@var{state}, int @var{status}, int @var{errnum}, const char *@var{fmt}, @dots{}) +Similar to the standard gnu error-reporting function @code{error}, this +prints the program name and @samp{:}, the printf format string +@var{fmt}, and the appropriate following args. If it is non-zero, the +standard unix error text for @var{errnum} is printed. If @var{status} is +non-zero, it terminates the program with that value as its exit status. + +The difference between @code{argp_failure} and @code{argp_error} is that +@code{argp_error} is for @emph{parsing errors}, whereas +@code{argp_failure} is for other problems that occur during parsing but +don't reflect a syntactic problem with the input, such as illegal values +for options, bad phase of the moon, etc. +@end deftypefun + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun void argp_state_help (const struct argp_state *@var{state}, FILE *@var{stream}, unsigned @var{flags}) +Outputs a help message for the argp parser referred to by @var{state}, +to @var{stream}. The @var{flags} argument determines what sort of help +message is produced. @xref{Argp Help Flags}. +@end deftypefun + +Error output is sent to @code{@var{state}->err_stream}, and the program +name printed is @code{@var{state}->name}. + +The output or program termination behavior of these functions may be +suppressed if the @code{ARGP_NO_EXIT} or @code{ARGP_NO_ERRS} flags are +passed to @code{argp_parse}. @xref{Argp Flags}. + +This behavior is useful if an argp parser is exported for use by other +programs (e.g., by a library), and may be used in a context where it is +not desirable to terminate the program in response to parsing errors. In +argp parsers intended for such general use, and for the case where the +program @emph{doesn't} terminate, calls to any of these functions should +be followed by code that returns the appropriate error code: + +@smallexample +if (@var{bad argument syntax}) + @{ + argp_usage (@var{state}); + return EINVAL; + @} +@end smallexample + +@noindent +If a parser function will @emph{only} be used when @code{ARGP_NO_EXIT} +is not set, the return may be omitted. + +@node Argp Parsing State, Argp Helper Functions, Argp Special Keys, Argp Parser Functions +@subsubsection Argp Parsing State + +The third argument to argp parser functions (@pxref{Argp Parser +Functions}) is a pointer to a @code{struct argp_state}, which contains +information about the state of the option parsing. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftp {Data Type} {struct argp_state} +This structure has the following fields, which may be modified as noted: + +@table @code +@item const struct argp *const root_argp +The top level argp parser being parsed. Note that this is often +@emph{not} the same @code{struct argp} passed into @code{argp_parse} by +the invoking program. @xref{Argp}. It is an internal argp parser that +contains options implemented by @code{argp_parse} itself, such as +@samp{--help}. + +@item int argc +@itemx char **argv +The argument vector being parsed. This may be modified. + +@item int next +The index in @code{argv} of the next argument to be parsed. This may be +modified. + +One way to consume all remaining arguments in the input is to set +@code{@var{state}->next = @var{state}->argc}, perhaps after recording +the value of the @code{next} field to find the consumed arguments. The +current option can be re-parsed immediately by decrementing this field, +then modifying @code{@var{state}->argv[@var{state}->next]} to reflect +the option that should be reexamined. + +@item unsigned flags +The flags supplied to @code{argp_parse}. These may be modified, although +some flags may only take effect when @code{argp_parse} is first +invoked. @xref{Argp Flags}. + +@item unsigned arg_num +While calling a parsing function with the @var{key} argument +@code{ARGP_KEY_ARG}, this represents the number of the current arg, +starting at 0. It is incremented after each @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG} call +returns. At all other times, this is the number of @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG} +arguments that have been processed. + +@item int quoted +If non-zero, the index in @code{argv} of the first argument following a +special @samp{--} argument. This prevents anything that follows from +being interpreted as an option. It is only set after argument parsing +has proceeded past this point. + +@item void *input +An arbitrary pointer passed in from the caller of @code{argp_parse}, in +the @var{input} argument. + +@item void **child_inputs +These are values that will be passed to child parsers. This vector will +be the same length as the number of children in the current parser. Each +child parser will be given the value of +@code{@var{state}->child_inputs[@var{i}]} as @emph{its} +@code{@var{state}->input} field, where @var{i} is the index of the child +in the this parser's @code{children} field. @xref{Argp Children}. + +@item void *hook +For the parser function's use. Initialized to 0, but otherwise ignored +by argp. + +@item char *name +The name used when printing messages. This is initialized to +@code{argv[0]}, or @code{program_invocation_name} if @code{argv[0]} is +unavailable. + +@item FILE *err_stream +@itemx FILE *out_stream +The stdio streams used when argp prints. Error messages are printed to +@code{err_stream}, all other output, such as @samp{--help} output) to +@code{out_stream}. These are initialized to @code{stderr} and +@code{stdout} respectively. @xref{Standard Streams}. + +@item void *pstate +Private, for use by the argp implementation. +@end table +@end deftp + +@node Argp Children, Argp Help Filtering, Argp Parser Functions, Argp Parsers +@subsection Combining Multiple Argp Parsers + +The @code{children} field in a @code{struct argp} enables other argp +parsers to be combined with the referencing one for the parsing of a +single set of arguments. This field should point to a vector of +@code{struct argp_child}, which is terminated by an entry having a value +of zero in the @code{argp} field. + +Where conflicts between combined parsers arise, as when two specify an +option with the same name, the parser conflicts are resolved in favor of +the parent argp parser(s), or the earlier of the argp parsers in the +list of children. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftp {Data Type} {struct argp_child} +An entry in the list of subsidiary argp parsers pointed to by the +@code{children} field in a @code{struct argp}. The fields are as +follows: + +@table @code +@item const struct argp *argp +The child argp parser, or zero to end of the list. + +@item int flags +Flags for this child. + +@item const char *header +If non-zero, this is an optional header to be printed within help output +before the child options. As a side-effect, a non-zero value forces the +child options to be grouped together. To achieve this effect without +actually printing a header string, use a value of @code{""}. As with +header strings specified in an option entry, the conventional value of +the last character is @samp{:}. @xref{Argp Option Vectors}. + +@item int group +This is where the child options are grouped relative to the other +`consolidated' options in the parent argp parser. The values are the +same as the @code{group} field in @code{struct argp_option}. @xref{Argp +Option Vectors}. All child-groupings follow parent options at a +particular group level. If both this field and @code{header} are zero, +then the child's options aren't grouped together, they are merged with +parent options at the parent option group level. + +@end table +@end deftp + +@node Argp Flags, Argp Help, Argp Parsers, Argp +@subsection Flags for @code{argp_parse} + +The default behavior of @code{argp_parse} is designed to be convenient +for the most common case of parsing program command line argument. To +modify these defaults, the following flags may be or'd together in the +@var{flags} argument to @code{argp_parse}: + +@vtable @code +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_PARSE_ARGV0 +Don't ignore the first element of the @var{argv} argument to +@code{argp_parse}. Unless @code{ARGP_NO_ERRS} is set, the first element +of the argument vector is skipped for option parsing purposes, as it +corresponds to the program name in a command line. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_NO_ERRS +Don't print error messages for unknown options to @code{stderr}; unless +this flag is set, @code{ARGP_PARSE_ARGV0} is ignored, as @code{argv[0]} +is used as the program name in the error messages. This flag implies +@code{ARGP_NO_EXIT}. This is based on the assumption that silent exiting +upon errors is bad behavior. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_NO_ARGS +Don't parse any non-option args. Normally these are parsed by calling +the parse functions with a key of @code{ARGP_KEY_ARG}, the actual +argument being the value. This flag needn't normally be set, as the +default behavior is to stop parsing as soon as an argument fails to be +parsed. @xref{Argp Parser Functions}. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_IN_ORDER +Parse options and arguments in the same order they occur on the command +line. Normally they're rearranged so that all options come first. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_NO_HELP +Don't provide the standard long option @samp{--help}, which ordinarily +causes usage and option help information to be output to @code{stdout} +and @code{exit (0)}. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_NO_EXIT +Don't exit on errors, although they may still result in error messages. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_LONG_ONLY +Use the gnu getopt `long-only' rules for parsing arguments. This allows +long-options to be recognized with only a single @samp{-} +(i.e. @samp{-help}). This results in a less useful interface, and its +use is discouraged as it conflicts with the way most GNU programs work +as well as the GNU coding standards. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_SILENT +Turns off any message-printing/exiting options, specifically +@code{ARGP_NO_EXIT}, @code{ARGP_NO_ERRS}, and @code{ARGP_NO_HELP}. +@end vtable + +@node Argp Help Filtering, , Argp Children, Argp Parsers +@need 2000 +@subsection Customizing Argp Help Output + +The @code{help_filter} field in a @code{struct argp} is a pointer to a +function that filters the text of help messages before displaying +them. They have a function signature like: + +@smallexample +char *@var{help-filter} (int @var{key}, const char *@var{text}, void *@var{input}) +@end smallexample + + +@noindent +Where @var{key} is either a key from an option, in which case @var{text} +is that option's help text. @xref{Argp Option Vectors}. Alternately, one +of the special keys with names beginning with @samp{ARGP_KEY_HELP_} +might be used, describing which other help text @var{text} will contain. +@xref{Argp Help Filter Keys}. + +The function should return either @var{text} if it remains as-is, or a +replacement string allocated using @code{malloc}. This will be either be +freed by argp or zero, which prints nothing. The value of @var{text} is +supplied @emph{after} any translation has been done, so if any of the +replacement text needs translation, it will be done by the filter +function. @var{input} is either the input supplied to @code{argp_parse} +or it is zero, if @code{argp_help} was called directly by the user. + +@menu +* Keys: Argp Help Filter Keys. Special @var{key} values for help filter functions. +@end menu + +@node Argp Help Filter Keys, , , Argp Help Filtering +@subsubsection Special Keys for Argp Help Filter Functions + +The following special values may be passed to an argp help filter +function as the first argument in addition to key values for user +options. They specify which help text the @var{text} argument contains: + +@vtable @code +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_PRE_DOC +The help text preceding options. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_POST_DOC +The help text following options. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_HEADER +The option header string. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_EXTRA +This is used after all other documentation; @var{text} is zero for this key. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_DUP_ARGS_NOTE +The explanatory note printed when duplicate option arguments have been suppressed. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@item ARGP_KEY_HELP_ARGS_DOC +The argument doc string; formally the @code{args_doc} field from the argp parser. @xref{Argp Parsers}. +@end vtable + +@node Argp Help, Argp Examples, Argp Flags, Argp +@subsection The @code{argp_help} Function + +Normally programs using argp need not be written with particular +printing argument-usage-type help messages in mind as the standard +@samp{--help} option is handled automatically by argp. Typical error +cases can be handled using @code{argp_usage} and +@code{argp_error}. @xref{Argp Helper Functions}. However, if it's +desirable to print a help message in some context other than parsing the +program options, argp offers the @code{argp_help} interface. + +@comment argp.h +@comment GNU +@deftypefun void argp_help (const struct argp *@var{argp}, FILE *@var{stream}, unsigned @var{flags}, char *@var{name}) +This outputs a help message for the argp parser @var{argp} to +@var{stream}. The type of messages printed will be determined by +@var{flags}. + +Any options such as @samp{--help} that are implemented automatically by +argp itself will @emph{not} be present in the help output; for this +reason it is best to use @code{argp_state_help} if calling from within +an argp parser function. @xref{Argp Helper Functions}. +@end deftypefun + +@menu +* Flags: Argp Help Flags. Specifying what sort of help message to print. +@end menu + +@node Argp Help Flags, , , Argp Help +@subsection Flags for the @code{argp_help} Function + +When calling @code{argp_help} (@pxref{Argp Help}) or +@code{argp_state_help} (@pxref{Argp Helper Functions}) the exact output +is determined by the @var{flags} argument. This should consist of any of +the following flags, or'd together: + +@vtable @code +@item ARGP_HELP_USAGE +A unix @samp{Usage:} message that explicitly lists all options. + +@item ARGP_HELP_SHORT_USAGE +A unix @samp{Usage:} message that displays an appropriate placeholder to +indicate where the options go; useful for showing the non-option +argument syntax. + +@item ARGP_HELP_SEE +A @samp{Try @dots{} for more help} message; @samp{@dots{}} contains the +program name and @samp{--help}. + +@item ARGP_HELP_LONG +A verbose option help message that gives each option available along +with its documentation string. + +@item ARGP_HELP_PRE_DOC +The part of the argp parser doc string preceding the verbose option help. + +@item ARGP_HELP_POST_DOC +The part of the argp parser doc string that following the verbose option help. + +@item ARGP_HELP_DOC +@code{(ARGP_HELP_PRE_DOC | ARGP_HELP_POST_DOC)} + +@item ARGP_HELP_BUG_ADDR +A message that prints where to report bugs for this program, if the +@code{argp_program_bug_address} variable contains this information. + +@item ARGP_HELP_LONG_ONLY +This will modify any output to reflect the @code{ARGP_LONG_ONLY} mode. +@end vtable + +The following flags are only understood when used with +@code{argp_state_help}. They control whether the function returns after +printing its output, or terminates the program: + +@vtable @code +@item ARGP_HELP_EXIT_ERR +This will terminate the program with @code{exit (argp_err_exit_status)}. + +@item ARGP_HELP_EXIT_OK +This will terminate the program with @code{exit (0)}. +@end vtable + +The following flags are combinations of the basic flags for printing +standard messages: + +@vtable @code +@item ARGP_HELP_STD_ERR +Assuming that an error message for a parsing error has printed, this +prints a message on how to get help, and terminates the program with an +error. + +@item ARGP_HELP_STD_USAGE +This prints a standard usage message and terminates the program with an +error. This is used when no other specific error messages are +appropriate or available. + +@item ARGP_HELP_STD_HELP +This prints the standard response for a @samp{--help} option, and +terminates the program successfully. +@end vtable + +@node Argp Examples, Argp User Customization, Argp Help, Argp +@subsection Argp Examples + +These example programs demonstrate the basic usage of argp. + +@menu +* 1: Argp Example 1. A minimal program using argp. +* 2: Argp Example 2. A program using only default options. +* 3: Argp Example 3. A simple program with user options. +* 4: Argp Example 4. Combining multiple argp parsers. +@end menu + +@node Argp Example 1, Argp Example 2, , Argp Examples +@subsubsection A Minimal Program Using Argp + +This is perhaps the smallest program possible that uses argp. It won't +do much except give an error messages and exit when there are any +arguments, and prints a rather pointless message for @samp{--help}. + +@smallexample +@include argp-ex1.c.texi +@end smallexample + +@node Argp Example 2, Argp Example 3, Argp Example 1, Argp Examples +@subsubsection A Program Using Argp with Only Default Options + +This program doesn't use any options or arguments, it uses argp to be +compliant with the GNU standard command line format. + +In addition to giving no arguments and implementing a @samp{--help} +option, this example has a @samp{--version} option, which will put the +given documentation string and bug address in the @samp{--help} output, +as per GNU standards. + +The variable @code{argp} contains the argument parser +specification. Adding fields to this structure is the way most +parameters are passed to @code{argp_parse}. The first three fields are +normally used, but they are not in this small program. There are also +two global variables that argp can use defined here, +@code{argp_program_version} and @code{argp_program_bug_address}. They +are considered global variables because they will almost always be +constant for a given program, even if they use different argument +parsers for various tasks. + +@smallexample +@include argp-ex2.c.texi +@end smallexample + +@node Argp Example 3, Argp Example 4, Argp Example 2, Argp Examples +@subsubsection A Program Using Argp with User Options + +This program uses the same features as example 2, adding user options +and arguments. + +We now use the first four fields in @code{argp} (@pxref{Argp Parsers}) +and specify @code{parse_opt} as the parser function. @xref{Argp Parser +Functions}. + +Note that in this example, @code{main} uses a structure to communicate +with the @code{parse_opt} function, a pointer to which it passes in the +@code{input} argument to @code{argp_parse}. @xref{Argp}. It is retrieved +by @code{parse_opt} through the @code{input} field in its @code{state} +argument. @xref{Argp Parsing State}. Of course, it's also possible to +use global variables instead, but using a structure like this is +somewhat more flexible and clean. + +@smallexample +@include argp-ex3.c.texi +@end smallexample + +@node Argp Example 4, , Argp Example 3, Argp Examples +@subsubsection A Program Using Multiple Combined Argp Parsers + +This program uses the same features as example 3, but has more options, +and presents more structure in the @samp{--help} output. It also +illustrates how you can `steal' the remainder of the input arguments +past a certain point for programs that accept a list of items. It also +illustrates the @var{key} value @code{ARGP_KEY_NO_ARGS}, which is only +given if no non-option arguments were supplied to the +program. @xref{Argp Special Keys}. + +For structuring help output, two features are used: @emph{headers} and a +two part option string. The @emph{headers} are entries in the options +vector. @xref{Argp Option Vectors}. The first four fields are zero. The +two part documentation string are in the variable @code{doc}, which +allows documentation both before and after the options. @xref{Argp +Parsers}, the two parts of @code{doc} are separated by a vertical-tab +character (@code{'\v'}, or @code{'\013'}). By convention, the +documentation before the options is a short string stating what the +program does, and after any options it is longer, describing the +behavior in more detail. All documentation strings are automatically +filled for output, although newlines may be included to force a line +break at a particular point. In addition, documentation strings are +passed to the @code{gettext} function, for possible translation into the +current locale. + +@smallexample +@include argp-ex4.c.texi +@end smallexample + +@node Argp User Customization, , Argp Examples, Argp +@subsection Argp User Customization + +@cindex ARGP_HELP_FMT environment variable +The formatting of argp @samp{--help} output may be controlled to some +extent by a program's users, by setting the @code{ARGP_HELP_FMT} +environment variable to a comma-separated list of tokens. Whitespace is +ignored: + +@table @samp +@item dup-args +@itemx no-dup-args +These turn @dfn{duplicate-argument-mode} on or off. In duplicate +argument mode, if an option that accepts an argument has multiple names, +the argument is shown for each name. Otherwise, it is only shown for the +first long option. A note is subsequently printed so the user knows that +it applies to other names as well. The default is @samp{no-dup-args}, +which is less consistent, but prettier. + +@item dup-args-note +@item no-dup-args-note +These will enable or disable the note informing the user of suppressed +option argument duplication. The default is @samp{dup-args-note}. + +@item short-opt-col=@var{n} +This prints the first short option in column @var{n}. The default is 2. + +@item long-opt-col=@var{n} +This prints the first long option in column @var{n}. The default is 6. + +@item doc-opt-col=@var{n} +This prints `documentation options' (@pxref{Argp Option Flags}) in +column @var{n}. The default is 2. + +@item opt-doc-col=@var{n} +This prints the documentation for options starting in column +@var{n}. The default is 29. + +@item header-col=@var{n} +This will indent the group headers that document groups of options to +column @var{n}. The default is 1. + +@item usage-indent=@var{n} +This will indent continuation lines in @samp{Usage:} messages to column +@var{n}. The default is 12. + +@item rmargin=@var{n} +This will word wrap help output at or before column @var{n}. The default +is 79. +@end table -- cgit v1.2.3