CommandLineParser

Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Code Example
• Command Switches

Introduction

NeoticTools.CommandLineParser is a .Net C# class library that simplifies command line string parsing and displaying command line usage text.  It is a simple to use standard parser for reuse in many applications.

Features

• Command line switches are declared using attributes on application properties.

• Aliases.

• -, & / switch prefixes.

• String, Boolean, Enum, and Integer switches.  

• Extensible for other switch types.

• Reports unused portions of command string.

• Parses Win32 and Forms style command strings.

• Help usage string generation.

• Explicit set switches report string generation.

Code Example

1. Declare application switches by adding attributes to application properties.

    

   The following code fragment declares application command line switches:

   • "Help" with aliases; "h", & "?".
   • "Source" with aliases; "s", & "input".

   Command switch prefixes may be -, --, or /.  So valid help switches are -h, --h, or /h.

    

[CommandLineSwitch("help", "Show usage information", @"h", @"\?")]

public bool Help

{

   // insert get, set code here

}

 

[CommandLineSwitch("source", "Source directory to scan", "s", "input")]

public string Source

{

   // insert get, set code here

}

 

2. Create and instance of the parser & parse the command line

CommandLineParser commandLineParser = new CommandLineParser(this.Options);

commandLineParser.Parse(System.Environment.GetCommandLineArgs());

 

3. Application code

error = commandLineParser.UnmatchedSwitches.Length > 0;

if (this.Options.Help == true || error == true)

{

  Console.Write(commandLineParser.Usage);

}

if (error == false)

{

  Console.Write(commandLineParser.ExplicitOptions);

  // application code here

}

 

That is all there is too it.  Easy!

Command Switches

Boolean

Syntax

[-|/][switchName][:| ]<true|yes|false|no>

Value

Value is optional, if not given the switch is set to true.  

Examples

-Help

/Debug yes

-Debug:FALSE

String

Syntax

[-|/][switchName][:| ]<">[value]<">

Value

String value.  May be double quote (") delimited.

Examples

-Name Fred

-Name "Fred Smith"

-InputFile:c:\temp\myfile.txt"

Integer

Syntax

[-|/][switchName][:| ][value]

Examples

-Maximum 0

Enum

Syntax

[-|/][switchName][:| ][value]

Value

Enum value string.

Examples

-Maximum 0

Last updated 30th June, 2005, Robert Smyth