What is @types/yargs?
The @types/yargs package provides TypeScript type definitions for the yargs library, which is a tool to help build interactive command line tools, by parsing arguments and generating an elegant user interface. It helps TypeScript developers to have auto-completion and type checking when using yargs.
What are @types/yargs's main functionalities?
Command Module Definition
Defines a command with options. This example creates a 'get' command with a required 'url' option.
import * as yargs from 'yargs';
yargs.command('get', 'make a get HTTP request', {
url: {
describe: 'URL to make request to',
demand: true,
alias: 'u',
type: 'string'
}
}, (argv) => {
console.log(`Making a GET request to: ${argv.url}`);
});
Option Parsing
Parses command line options. This example parses a boolean 'verbose' option.
import * as yargs from 'yargs';
const argv = yargs.option('verbose', {
alias: 'v',
type: 'boolean',
description: 'Run with verbose logging'
}).argv;
if (argv.verbose) console.log('Verbose mode on');
Help and Version Setup
Sets up automatic version and help message support. This example sets the version of the CLI tool and enables the default help support.
import * as yargs from 'yargs';
yargs.version('1.0.0').help().argv;
Other packages similar to @types/yargs
commander
Commander is another popular npm package for building command line interfaces. It offers a high-level API for creating commands and options, similar to yargs. Commander is known for its simplicity and ease of use, but yargs provides more detailed control over argument parsing and generates more comprehensive help messages automatically.
meow
Meow is a lighter alternative to yargs for building CLI tools. It focuses on simplicity and minimal configuration. While it is easier to set up for simple scripts, yargs offers more advanced features like command-specific options, middleware, and automatic help generation.