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KCmdLineArgs Class Reference

A class for command-line argument handling. More...

#include <kcmdlineargs.h>

List of all members.

Public Methods
QCString	getOption (const char *option) const
QCStringList	getOptionList (const char *option) const
bool	isSet (const char *option) const
int	count () const
const char *	arg (int n) const
KURL	url (int n) const
void	clear ()
Static Public Methods
void	init (int _argc, char **_argv, const char *_appname, const char *_description, const char *_version, bool noKApp=false)
void	init (int _argc, char **_argv, const KAboutData *about, bool noKApp=false)
void	init (const KAboutData *about)
void	addCmdLineOptions (const KCmdLineOptions *options, const char *name=0, const char *id=0, const char *afterId=0)
KCmdLineArgs *	parsedArgs (const char *id=0)
QString	cwd ()
const char *	appName ()
void	usage (const char *id=0)
void	usage (const QString &error)
void	enable_i18n ()
KURL	makeURL (const char *urlArg)
void	setCwd (char *cwd)

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Detailed Description

A class for command-line argument handling.

Simple access to the command-line arguments.

It takes into account Qt-specific options, KDE-specific options and application specific options.

This class is used in main() via the static method init().

A typical KDE application should look like this:

  int main(int argc, char *argv[])
  {
     // Initialize command line args
     KCmdLineArgs::init(argc, argv, appName, description, version);

     // Tell which options are supported
     KCmdLineArgs::addCmdLineOptions( options );

     // Add options from other components
     KUniqueApplication::addCmdLineOptions();

     ....

     // Create application object without passing 'argc' and 'argv' again.
     KUniqueApplication app;

     ....

     // Handle our own options/argments
     // A KApplication will usually do this in main but this is not
     // necassery.
     // A KUniqueApplication might want to handle it in newInstance().

     KCmdLineArgs *args = KCmdLineArgs::parsedArgs();

     // A binary option (on / off)
     if (args->isSet("some-option"))
        ....

     // An option which takes an additional argument
     QCString anotherOptionArg = args->getOption("another-option");

     // Arguments (e.g. files to open)
     for(int i = 0; i < args->count(); i++) // Counting start at 0!
     {
        // don't forget to convert to Unicode!
        openFile( QFile::decodeName( args->arg(i)));
        // Or more convenient:
        // openURL( args->url(i));

     }

     args->clear(); // Free up some memory.
     ....
  }

options are defined as follow

static KCmdLineOptions options[] = { { "a", I18N_NOOP("A short binary option."), 0 }, { "b <file>", I18N_NOOP("A short option which takes an argument."), 0 }, { "c <speed>", I18N_NOOP("As above but with a default value."), "9600" }, { "option1", I18N_NOOP("A long binary option, off by default."), 0 }, { "nooption2", I18N_NOOP("A long binary option, on by default."), 0 }, { "option3 <file>", I18N_NOOP("A long option which takes an argument."), 0 }, { "option3 <speed>", I18N_NOOP("As above with 9600 as default."), "9600" }, { "d", 0, 0 }, { "option4", I18N_NOOP("A long option which has a short option as alias."), 0 }, { "e", 0, 0 }, { "nooption5", I18N_NOOP("Another long option with an alias."), 0 }, { "f", 0, 0 }, { "option6 <speed>", I18N_NOOP("'--option6 speed' is same a '-f speed'"), 0 }, { "!option7 <cmd>", I18N_NOOP("All options following this one will be treated as arguments", 0 }, { "+file", I18N_NOOP("A required argument 'file'.), 0 }, { "+[arg1]", I18N_NOOP("An optional argument 'arg1'."), 0 }, { "!+command", I18N_NOOP("A required argument 'command', that can contain multiple words, even starting with '-'.), 0 }, { 0, 0, 0 } // End of options. };

The I18N_NOOP macro is used to indicate that these strings should be marked for translation. The actual translation is done by KCmdLineArgs. You can't use i18n() here because we are setting up a static data structure and can't do translations at compile time.

Note that a program should define the options before any arguments.

When a long option has a short option as alias. A program should only check for the long option.

With the above options a command line could look like:

     myapp -a -c 4800 --display localhost:0.0 --nooption5 -d /tmp/file
  

Long binary options can be in the form 'option' and 'nooption'. A command line may contain the same binary option multiple times, the last option determines the outcome:

     myapp --nooption4 --option4 --nooption4
  

is the same as:

     myapp --nooption4
  

Normally if an option value is provided multiple times only the last value is used:

     myapp -c 1200 -c 2400 -c 4800
  

is usually the same as:

     myapp -c 4800
  

However, an application can choose to use all values specified as well. E.g. to specify a number of directories to use:

     myapp -I /usr/include -I /opt/kde/include -I /usr/X11/include
  

When an application does this it should mention this in the description of the option. getOptionList()

Tips for end-users:

• Single char options like "-a -b -c" may be combined into "-abc"
• The option "--foo bar" may also be written "--foo=bar"
• The option "-P lp1" may also be written "-P=lp1" or "-Plp1"
• The option "--foo bar" may also be written "-foo bar"

Author:

Waldo Bastian

Version:

0.0.4

Definition at line 190 of file kcmdlineargs.h.

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Member Function Documentation

void KCmdLineArgs::addCmdLineOptions (  const KCmdLineOptions *    options, const char *    name = 0, const char *    id = 0, const char *    afterId = 0 )  [static]

Add options to your application. You must make sure that all possible options have been added before any class uses the command line arguments. The list of options should look like this: static KCmdLineOptions options[] = { { "option1 <argument>", I18N_NOOP("Description 1"), "default" }, { "o", 0, 0 }, { "option2", I18N_NOOP("Description 2"), 0 }, { "nooption3", I18N_NOOP("Description 3"), 0 }, { 0, 0, 0} } "option1" is an option that requires an additional argument "option2" is an option that can be turned on. The default is off. "option3" is an option that can be turned off. The default is on. "o" does not have a description. It is an alias for the option that follows. In this case "option2". "+file" specifies an argument. The '+' is removed. If your program doesn't specify that it can use arguments your program will abort when an argument is passed to it. In BNF: cmd = myapp [options] file options = (option)* option = --option1 <argument> | (-o | --option2 | --nooption2) | ( --option3 | --nooption3 ) Instead of "--option3" one may also use "-option3" Usage examples: "myapp --option1 test" "myapp" (same as "myapp --option1 default") "myapp --option2" "myapp --nooption2" (same as "myapp") "myapp -o" (same as "myapp --option2") "myapp --nooption3" "myapp --option3 (same as "myapp") "myapp --option2 --nooption2" (same as "myapp") "myapp /tmp/file" Parameters: options  A list of options thath your code supplies. name  the name of the option, can be 0. id  A name with which these options can be identified, can be 0. afterId  The options are inserted after this set of options, can be 0.

const char* KCmdLineArgs::appName (    )  [static]

Get the appname according to argv[0]. Returns: the name of the application

const char* KCmdLineArgs::arg (  int    n )  const

Read out an argument. Parameters: n  The argument to read. 0 is the first argument. count()-1 is the last argument. Returns: A const char * pointer to the n'th argument.

void KCmdLineArgs::clear (    )

Clear all options and arguments.

int KCmdLineArgs::count (    )

Read the number of arguments that aren't options (but, for example, filenames). Returns: The number of arguments that aren't options

QString KCmdLineArgs::cwd (    )  [static]

Get the CWD (Current Working Directory) associated with the current command line arguments. Typically this is needed in KUniqueApplication::newInstance() since the CWD of the process may be different from the CWD where the user started a second instance. Returns: the current working directory Referenced by setCwd().

void KCmdLineArgs::enable_i18n (    )  [static]

Enable i18n to be able to print a translated error message. N.B.: This function leaks memory, therefore you are expected to exit afterwards (e.g., by calling usage()).

QCString KCmdLineArgs::getOption (  const char *    option )  const

Read out a string option. The option must have a corresponding KCmdLineOptions entry of the form: { "option <argument>", I18N_NOOP("Description"), "default" } Parameters: option  The name of the option without '-'. Returns: The value of the option. If the option was not present on the command line the default is returned. If the option was present more than the value of the last occurence is used.

QCStringList KCmdLineArgs::getOptionList (  const char *    option )  const

Read out all occurences of a string option. The option must have a corresponding KCmdLineOptions entry of the form: { "option <argument>", I18N_NOOP("Description"), "default" } Parameters: option  The name of the option without '-'. Returns: A list of all option values. If no option was present on the command line, an empty list is returned.

void KCmdLineArgs::init (  const KAboutData *    about )  [static]

Initialize Class This function should be called as the very first thing in your application. This method is exactly the same as calling init(0,0, const KAboutData *about, true) This method will rarely be used Parameters: about  the about data.

void KCmdLineArgs::init (  int    _argc, char **    _argv, const KAboutData *    about, bool    noKApp = false )  [static]

Initialize class. This function should be called as the very first thing in your application. Parameters: argc  As passed to main(...). argv  As passed to main(...). about  A KAboutData object describing your program. noKApp  Don't add commandline options for QApplication / KApplication

void KCmdLineArgs::init (  int    _argc, char **    _argv, const char *    _appname, const char *    _description, const char *    _version, bool    noKApp = false )  [static]

Initialize class. This function should be called as the very first thing in your application. Parameters: argc  As passed to main(...). argv  As passed to main(...). appname  The untranslated name of your application. This should match with argv[0]. description  A short description of what your application is about. version  A version. noKApp  Don't add commandline options for QApplication/KApplication

bool KCmdLineArgs::isSet (  const char *    option )  const

Read out a boolean option or check for the presence of string option. Parameters: option  The name of the option without '-' or '-no'. Returns: The value of the option. If the option was not present on the command line the default is returned. If the option is listed as 'no<option>' the default is true. If the option is listed as '<option>' the default is false. If the option is listed as '<option> <arg>' this function returns true if the option was present and false otherwise.

KURL KCmdLineArgs::makeURL (  const char *    urlArg )  [static]

Used by url(). Made public for apps that don't use KCmdLineArgs Parameters: urlArgs  the argument Returns: the url.

KCmdLineArgs* KCmdLineArgs::parsedArgs (  const char *    id = 0 )  [static]

Access parsed arguments. This function returns all command line arguments that your code handles. If unknown command-line arguments are encountered the program is aborted and usage information is shown. Parameters: id  The name of the options you are interested in, can be 0.

void KCmdLineArgs::setCwd (  char *    cwd )  [inline, static]

Made public for apps that don't use KCmdLineArgs To be done before makeURL, to set the current working directory in case makeURL needs it. Parameters: cwd  the new working directory Definition at line 449 of file kcmdlineargs.h. References cwd().

KURL KCmdLineArgs::url (  int    n )  const

Read out an argument representing a URL. The argument can be an absolute filename a relative filename a URL Parameters: n  The argument to read. 0 is the first argument. count()-1 is the last argument. Returns: a URL representing the n'th argument.

void KCmdLineArgs::usage (  const QString &    error )  [static]

Print an error to stderr and the usage help to stdout and exit. Parameters: the  error to print

void KCmdLineArgs::usage (  const char *    id = 0 )  [static]

Print the usage help to stdout and exit. Parameters: id  if 0, print all options. If id is set, only print the option specified by id. The id is the value set by ref addCmdLineOptions().

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The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

• kcmdlineargs.h

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