clia

clia

Command line arguments parser and t3st example project

usage

In your-node-app:

const clia = require('clia')

const opts = clia(process.argv.slice(2))

From the command line input flags (abcd) and unflagged (hello)

node your-node-app -a -ab -cd hello

Yields

opts === {
    a: true,
    b: true,
    c: true,
    d: true
    $$: ['hello']
}

parlance - options and arguments

cli a -b c --d --e=f
a: argument (untagged)
b: option (short)
c: argument (tagged)
d: option (long)
e: option (key-value)
f: argument (key-value)

option -> boolean flag(s)

• short option
  • starts with single -
  • refers to one or more options
• long option
  • starts with double --
  • refers to one option
• key-value option
  • the key in --key=value

argument -> character(s)

• untagged:
  • argument(s) preceding any options
• tagged
  • argument(s) succeeding the last short option or long option
• key-value argument
  • the value in --key=value

parsing

• When a key-value option is stated more than once, the last value is used assigned

errors are thrown for:

• __proto__ to prevent prototype pollution
• dangling -- argument (WIP -- will indicate all subsequent input to be treated as arguments)

testing

Clone and run tests:

git clone https://github.com/devmachiine/clia.git
cd clia
npm i # optional
npm i -g nodemon # optional
npm test

To run live (aka hot-reload) tests:

# ctrl+c to exit.
npm start 

references

The Art of Unix Programming

GNU argument syntax conventions

getopts (therefore this IEEE doc)

Changelog

2020.8.5

• Allow single - character as argument
• Allow $ character as option