joptsimple

Class OptionParser

java.lang.Object

joptsimple.OptionParser

All Implemented Interfaces:

OptionDeclarer

public class OptionParser
extends java.lang.Object
implements OptionDeclarer

Parses command line arguments, using a syntax that attempts to take from the best of POSIX getopt() and GNU getopt_long().

This parser supports short options and long options.

• Short options begin with a single hyphen ("-") followed by a single letter or digit, or question mark ("?"), or dot ("."), or underscore ("_").
• Short options can accept single arguments. The argument can be made required or optional. The option's argument can occur:
  • in the slot after the option, as in -d /tmp
  • right up against the option, as in -d/tmp
  • right up against the option separated by an equals sign ("="), as in -d=/tmp
  To specify n arguments for an option, specify the option n times, once for each argument, as in -d /tmp -d /var -d /opt; or, when using the "separated values" clause of the "fluent interface" (see below), give multiple values separated by a given character as a single argument to the option.
• Short options can be clustered, so that -abc is treated as -a -b -c. If a short option in the cluster can accept an argument, the remaining characters are interpreted as the argument for that option.
• An argument consisting only of two hyphens ("--") signals that the remaining arguments are to be treated as non-options.
• An argument consisting only of a single hyphen is considered a non-option argument (though it can be an argument of an option). Many Unix programs treat single hyphens as stand-ins for the standard input or standard output streams.
• Long options begin with two hyphens ("--"), followed by multiple letters, digits, hyphens, question marks, or dots. A hyphen cannot be the first character of a long option specification when configuring the parser.
• You can abbreviate long options, so long as the abbreviation is unique. Suppress this behavior if you wish using this constructor.
• Long options can accept single arguments. The argument can be made required or optional. The option's argument can occur:
  • in the slot after the option, as in --directory /tmp
  • right up against the option separated by an equals sign ("="), as in --directory=/tmp
  Specify multiple arguments for a long option in the same manner as for short options (see above).
• You can use a single hyphen ("-") instead of a double hyphen ("--") for a long option.
• The option -W is reserved. If you tell the parser to recognize alternative long options, then it will treat, for example, -W foo=bar as the long option foo with argument bar, as though you had written --foo=bar.
• You can specify -W as a valid short option, or use it as an abbreviation for a long option, but recognizing alternative long options will always supersede this behavior.
• You can specify a given short or long option multiple times on a single command line. The parser collects any arguments specified for those options as a list.
• If the parser detects an option whose argument is optional, and the next argument "looks like" an option, that argument is not treated as the argument to the option, but as a potentially valid option. If, on the other hand, the optional argument is typed as a derivative of Number, then that argument is treated as the negative number argument of the option, even if the parser recognizes the corresponding numeric option. For example:

  
       OptionParser parser = new OptionParser();
       parser.accepts( "a" ).withOptionalArg().ofType( Integer.class );
       parser.accepts( "2" );
       OptionSet options = parser.parse( "-a", "-2" );
     

  In this case, the option set contains "a" with argument -2, not both "a" and "2". Swapping the elements in the args array gives the latter.

There are two ways to tell the parser what options to recognize:

1. A "fluent interface"-style API for specifying options, available since version 2. Sentences in this fluent interface language begin with a call to accepts or acceptsAll methods; calls on the ensuing chain of objects describe whether the options can take an argument, whether the argument is required or optional, to what type arguments of the options should be converted if any, etc. Since version 3, these calls return an instance of OptionSpec, which can subsequently be used to retrieve the arguments of the associated option in a type-safe manner.
2. Since version 1, a more concise way of specifying short options has been to use the special constructor. Arguments of options specified in this manner will be of type String. Here are the rules for the format of the specification strings this constructor accepts:
   • Any letter or digit is treated as an option character.
   • An option character can be immediately followed by an asterisk (*) to indicate that the option is a "help" option.
   • If an option character (with possible trailing asterisk) is followed by a single colon (":"), then the option requires an argument.
   • If an option character (with possible trailing asterisk) is followed by two colons ("::"), then the option accepts an optional argument.
   • Otherwise, the option character accepts no argument.
   • If the option specification string begins with a plus sign ("+" ), the parser will behave "POSIX-ly correct".
   • If the option specification string contains the sequence "W;" (capital W followed by a semicolon), the parser will recognize the alternative form of long options.

Each of the options in a list of options given to acceptsAll is treated as a synonym of the others. For example:

     
     OptionParser parser = new OptionParser();
     parser.acceptsAll( asList( "w", "interactive", "confirmation" ) );
     OptionSet options = parser.parse( "-w" );
     
   

In this case, options.has would answer true when given arguments "w", "interactive", and "confirmation". The OptionSet would give the same responses to these arguments for its other methods as well.

By default, as with GNU getopt(), the parser allows intermixing of options and non-options. If, however, the parser has been created to be "POSIX-ly correct", then the first argument that does not look lexically like an option, and is not a required argument of a preceding option, signals the end of options. You can still bind optional arguments to their options using the abutting (for short options) or = syntax.

Unlike GNU getopt(), this parser does not honor the environment variable POSIXLY_CORRECT. "POSIX-ly correct" parsers are configured by either:

1. using the method posixlyCorrect(boolean), or
2. using the constructor with an argument whose first character is a plus sign ("+")

See Also:

The GNU C Library

Field Summary

Fields

Modifier and Type	Field and Description
private boolean	allowsUnrecognizedOptions
private java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>>	availableIf
private java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>>	availableUnless
private HelpFormatter	helpFormatter
private boolean	posixlyCorrect
private OptionNameMap<AbstractOptionSpec<?>>	recognizedOptions
private java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>>	requiredIf
private java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>>	requiredUnless
private OptionParserState	state
private java.util.ArrayList<AbstractOptionSpec<?>>	trainingOrder

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor and Description
OptionParser() Creates an option parser that initially recognizes no options, and does not exhibit "POSIX-ly correct" behavior.
OptionParser(boolean allowAbbreviations) Creates an option parser that initially recognizes no options, and does not exhibit "POSIX-ly correct" behavior.
OptionParser(java.lang.String optionSpecification) Creates an option parser and configures it to recognize the short options specified in the given string.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
private java.util.Map<java.lang.String,AbstractOptionSpec<?>>	_recognizedOptions()
OptionSpecBuilder	accepts(java.lang.String option) Tells the parser to recognize the given option.
OptionSpecBuilder	accepts(java.lang.String option, java.lang.String description) Tells the parser to recognize the given option.
OptionSpecBuilder	acceptsAll(java.util.List<java.lang.String> options) Tells the parser to recognize the given options, and treat them as synonymous.
OptionSpecBuilder	acceptsAll(java.util.List<java.lang.String> options, java.lang.String description) Tells the parser to recognize the given options, and treat them as synonymous.
void	allowsUnrecognizedOptions() Tells the parser to treat unrecognized options as non-option arguments.
(package private) void	availableIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, OptionSpec<?> available)
(package private) void	availableIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, java.lang.String available)
(package private) void	availableUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, OptionSpec<?> available)
(package private) void	availableUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, java.lang.String available)
(package private) boolean	doesAllowsUnrecognizedOptions()
private void	ensureAllowedOptions(OptionSet options)
private void	ensureRequiredOptions(OptionSet options)
private static char[]	extractShortOptionsFrom(java.lang.String argument)
void	formatHelpWith(HelpFormatter formatter) Tells the parser to use the given formatter when asked to print help.
(package private) void	handleLongOptionToken(java.lang.String candidate, ArgumentList arguments, OptionSet detected)
(package private) void	handleNonOptionArgument(java.lang.String candidate, ArgumentList arguments, OptionSet detectedOptions)
private void	handleShortOptionCluster(java.lang.String candidate, ArgumentList arguments, OptionSet detected)
(package private) void	handleShortOptionToken(java.lang.String candidate, ArgumentList arguments, OptionSet detected)
private boolean	isHelpOptionPresent(OptionSet options)
(package private) boolean	isRecognized(java.lang.String option)
(package private) boolean	looksLikeAnOption(java.lang.String argument)
private java.util.List<AbstractOptionSpec<?>>	missingRequiredOptions(OptionSet options)
void	mutuallyExclusive(OptionSpecBuilder... specs) Mandates mutual exclusiveness for the options built by the specified builders.
(package private) void	noMoreOptions()
NonOptionArgumentSpec<java.lang.String>	nonOptions() Gives an object that represents an access point for non-option arguments on a command line.
NonOptionArgumentSpec<java.lang.String>	nonOptions(java.lang.String description) Gives an object that represents an access point for non-option arguments on a command line.
private boolean	optionsHasAnyOf(OptionSet options, java.util.Collection<OptionSpec<?>> specs)
OptionSet	parse(java.lang.String... arguments) Parses the given command line arguments according to the option specifications given to the parser.
private static KeyValuePair	parseLongOptionWithArgument(java.lang.String argument)
private static KeyValuePair	parseShortOptionWithArgument(java.lang.String argument)
(package private) boolean	posixlyCorrect()
void	posixlyCorrect(boolean setting) Tells the parser whether or not to behave "POSIX-ly correct"-ly.
void	printHelpOn(java.io.OutputStream sink) Writes information about the options this parser recognizes to the given output sink.
void	printHelpOn(java.io.Writer sink) Writes information about the options this parser recognizes to the given output sink.
private void	putDependentOption(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, OptionSpec<?> required, java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> target)
(package private) void	recognize(AbstractOptionSpec<?> spec)
void	recognizeAlternativeLongOptions(boolean recognize) Tells the parser either to recognize or ignore -W-style long options.
java.util.Map<java.lang.String,OptionSpec<?>>	recognizedOptions() Retrieves all options-spec pairings which have been configured for the parser in the same order as declared during training.
(package private) void	requiredIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, OptionSpec<?> required)
(package private) void	requiredIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, java.lang.String required)
(package private) void	requiredUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, OptionSpec<?> required)
(package private) void	requiredUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms, java.lang.String required)
private void	reset()
private AbstractOptionSpec<?>	specFor(char option)
private AbstractOptionSpec<?>	specFor(java.lang.String option)
private java.util.List<AbstractOptionSpec<?>>	unavailableOptions(OptionSet options)
private void	validateOptionCharacters(char[] options)

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

recognizedOptions

private final OptionNameMap<AbstractOptionSpec<?>> recognizedOptions

trainingOrder

private final java.util.ArrayList<AbstractOptionSpec<?>> trainingOrder

requiredIf

private final java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> requiredIf

requiredUnless

private final java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> requiredUnless

availableIf

private final java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> availableIf

availableUnless

private final java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> availableUnless

state

private OptionParserState state

posixlyCorrect

private boolean posixlyCorrect

allowsUnrecognizedOptions

private boolean allowsUnrecognizedOptions

helpFormatter

private HelpFormatter helpFormatter

Constructor Detail

OptionParser

public OptionParser()

Creates an option parser that initially recognizes no options, and does not exhibit "POSIX-ly correct" behavior.

OptionParser

public OptionParser(boolean allowAbbreviations)

Creates an option parser that initially recognizes no options, and does not exhibit "POSIX-ly correct" behavior.

Parameters:

allowAbbreviations - whether unambiguous abbreviations of long options should be recognized by the parser

OptionParser

public OptionParser(java.lang.String optionSpecification)

Creates an option parser and configures it to recognize the short options specified in the given string. Arguments of options specified this way will be of type String.

Parameters:

optionSpecification - an option specification

Throws:

java.lang.NullPointerException - if optionSpecification is null

OptionException - if the option specification contains illegal characters or otherwise cannot be recognized

Method Detail

accepts

public OptionSpecBuilder accepts(java.lang.String option)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser to recognize the given option.

This method returns an instance of OptionSpecBuilder to allow the formation of parser directives as sentences in a fluent interface language. For example:

   OptionDeclarer parser = new OptionParser();
   parser.accepts( "c" ).withRequiredArg().ofType( Integer.class );
 

If no methods are invoked on the returned OptionSpecBuilder, then the parser treats the option as accepting no argument.

Specified by:

accepts in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

option - the option to recognize

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the option

accepts

public OptionSpecBuilder accepts(java.lang.String option,
                                 java.lang.String description)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser to recognize the given option.

Specified by:

accepts in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

option - the option to recognize

description - a string that describes the purpose of the option. This is used when generating help information about the parser.

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the option

See Also:

OptionDeclarer.accepts(String)

acceptsAll

public OptionSpecBuilder acceptsAll(java.util.List<java.lang.String> options)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser to recognize the given options, and treat them as synonymous.

Specified by:

acceptsAll in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

options - the options to recognize and treat as synonymous

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the options

See Also:

OptionDeclarer.accepts(String)

acceptsAll

public OptionSpecBuilder acceptsAll(java.util.List<java.lang.String> options,
                                    java.lang.String description)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser to recognize the given options, and treat them as synonymous.

Specified by:

acceptsAll in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

options - the options to recognize and treat as synonymous

description - a string that describes the purpose of the option. This is used when generating help information about the parser.

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the options

See Also:

OptionDeclarer.acceptsAll(List)

nonOptions

public NonOptionArgumentSpec<java.lang.String> nonOptions()

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Gives an object that represents an access point for non-option arguments on a command line.

Specified by:

nonOptions in interface OptionDeclarer

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the non-option arguments

nonOptions

public NonOptionArgumentSpec<java.lang.String> nonOptions(java.lang.String description)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Gives an object that represents an access point for non-option arguments on a command line.

Specified by:

nonOptions in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

description - a string that describes the purpose of the non-option arguments. This is used when generating help information about the parser.

Returns:

an object that can be used to flesh out more detail about the non-option arguments

See Also:

OptionDeclarer.nonOptions()

posixlyCorrect

public void posixlyCorrect(boolean setting)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser whether or not to behave "POSIX-ly correct"-ly.

Specified by:

posixlyCorrect in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

setting - true if the parser should behave "POSIX-ly correct"-ly

posixlyCorrect

boolean posixlyCorrect()

allowsUnrecognizedOptions

public void allowsUnrecognizedOptions()

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser to treat unrecognized options as non-option arguments.

If not called, then the parser raises an OptionException when it encounters an unrecognized option.

Specified by:

allowsUnrecognizedOptions in interface OptionDeclarer

doesAllowsUnrecognizedOptions

boolean doesAllowsUnrecognizedOptions()

recognizeAlternativeLongOptions

public void recognizeAlternativeLongOptions(boolean recognize)

Description copied from interface: OptionDeclarer

Tells the parser either to recognize or ignore -W-style long options.

Specified by:

recognizeAlternativeLongOptions in interface OptionDeclarer

Parameters:

recognize - true if the parser is to recognize the special style of long options

recognize

void recognize(AbstractOptionSpec<?> spec)

printHelpOn

public void printHelpOn(java.io.OutputStream sink)
                 throws java.io.IOException

Writes information about the options this parser recognizes to the given output sink. The output sink is flushed, but not closed.

Parameters:

sink - the sink to write information to

Throws:

java.io.IOException - if there is a problem writing to the sink

java.lang.NullPointerException - if sink is null

See Also:

printHelpOn(Writer)

printHelpOn

public void printHelpOn(java.io.Writer sink)
                 throws java.io.IOException

Writes information about the options this parser recognizes to the given output sink. The output sink is flushed, but not closed.

Parameters:

sink - the sink to write information to

Throws:

java.io.IOException - if there is a problem writing to the sink

java.lang.NullPointerException - if sink is null

See Also:

printHelpOn(OutputStream)

formatHelpWith

public void formatHelpWith(HelpFormatter formatter)

Tells the parser to use the given formatter when asked to print help.

Parameters:

formatter - the formatter to use for printing help

Throws:

java.lang.NullPointerException - if the formatter is null

recognizedOptions

public java.util.Map<java.lang.String,OptionSpec<?>> recognizedOptions()

Retrieves all options-spec pairings which have been configured for the parser in the same order as declared during training. Option flags for specs are alphabetized by OptionSpec.options(); only the order of the specs is preserved. (Note: prior to 4.7 the order was alphabetical across all options regardless of spec.)

Returns:

a map containing all the configured options and their corresponding OptionSpec

Since:

4.6

_recognizedOptions

private java.util.Map<java.lang.String,AbstractOptionSpec<?>> _recognizedOptions()

parse

public OptionSet parse(java.lang.String... arguments)

Parses the given command line arguments according to the option specifications given to the parser.

Parameters:

arguments - arguments to parse

Returns:

an OptionSet describing the parsed options, their arguments, and any non-option arguments found

Throws:

OptionException - if problems are detected while parsing

java.lang.NullPointerException - if the argument list is null

mutuallyExclusive

public void mutuallyExclusive(OptionSpecBuilder... specs)

Mandates mutual exclusiveness for the options built by the specified builders.

Parameters:

specs - descriptors for options that should be mutually exclusive on a command line.

Throws:

java.lang.NullPointerException - if specs is null

ensureRequiredOptions

private void ensureRequiredOptions(OptionSet options)

ensureAllowedOptions

private void ensureAllowedOptions(OptionSet options)

missingRequiredOptions

private java.util.List<AbstractOptionSpec<?>> missingRequiredOptions(OptionSet options)

unavailableOptions

private java.util.List<AbstractOptionSpec<?>> unavailableOptions(OptionSet options)

optionsHasAnyOf

private boolean optionsHasAnyOf(OptionSet options,
                                java.util.Collection<OptionSpec<?>> specs)

isHelpOptionPresent

private boolean isHelpOptionPresent(OptionSet options)

handleLongOptionToken

void handleLongOptionToken(java.lang.String candidate,
                           ArgumentList arguments,
                           OptionSet detected)

handleShortOptionToken

void handleShortOptionToken(java.lang.String candidate,
                            ArgumentList arguments,
                            OptionSet detected)

handleShortOptionCluster

private void handleShortOptionCluster(java.lang.String candidate,
                                      ArgumentList arguments,
                                      OptionSet detected)

handleNonOptionArgument

void handleNonOptionArgument(java.lang.String candidate,
                             ArgumentList arguments,
                             OptionSet detectedOptions)

noMoreOptions

void noMoreOptions()

looksLikeAnOption

boolean looksLikeAnOption(java.lang.String argument)

isRecognized

boolean isRecognized(java.lang.String option)

requiredIf

void requiredIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                java.lang.String required)

requiredIf

void requiredIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                OptionSpec<?> required)

requiredUnless

void requiredUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                    java.lang.String required)

requiredUnless

void requiredUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                    OptionSpec<?> required)

availableIf

void availableIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                 java.lang.String available)

availableIf

void availableIf(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                 OptionSpec<?> available)

availableUnless

void availableUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                     java.lang.String available)

availableUnless

void availableUnless(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                     OptionSpec<?> available)

putDependentOption

private void putDependentOption(java.util.List<java.lang.String> precedentSynonyms,
                                OptionSpec<?> required,
                                java.util.Map<java.util.List<java.lang.String>,java.util.Set<OptionSpec<?>>> target)

specFor

private AbstractOptionSpec<?> specFor(char option)

specFor

private AbstractOptionSpec<?> specFor(java.lang.String option)

reset

private void reset()

extractShortOptionsFrom

private static char[] extractShortOptionsFrom(java.lang.String argument)

validateOptionCharacters

private void validateOptionCharacters(char[] options)

parseLongOptionWithArgument

private static KeyValuePair parseLongOptionWithArgument(java.lang.String argument)

parseShortOptionWithArgument

private static KeyValuePair parseShortOptionWithArgument(java.lang.String argument)