Command Helper Library

A Delphi library that makes it easier to work with command line applications

Features

• Auto parse command line arguments
• Validation - Checks for duplicate commands and arguments and makes sure that required arguments have been provided
• Cli app included to auto generate commands
• Auto generate, format and display application help

• Allows sub commands. The example below shows the "move" command and its two sub commands ("up" and "down")

Cli

You can build and use the cmdgen application to quickly generate commands

Usage

See the included demo application or follow along with the steps below

1) Build the cmdgen app

• Open cmdgen.dproj and build the the cmdgen.exe app
• Place the cmdgen.exe app in a directory in the Environment Variables "path"
• Open a new terminal, run "cmdgen" and check the the app was found and execute

2) Create a new console application that uses uCommandHelper.pas

From within the Delphi IDE

• Create a new Delphi console applications (File > New > Console Applications)
• Right-click on the Project, click "Add", navigate to the "command_helper\src" folder and add uCommandHelper.pas
• Create a TAppCommand and add code the execute it (see the "command_helper\demo\CommandHelperDemo.dpr" for an example)

3) Start adding commands to your application

• Use the cmdgen.exe app to generate boilerplate command code. See an example below:

cd myapp\src
cmdgen g list

The sample code above will create a list_command.pas in the "myapp\src" directory

4) Link the newly generated command to your application

• See "command_helper\demo\CommandHelperDemo.dpr" for an example
• You could add the TListCommand with a line like below

  lAppCommand.commands.add(TListCommand.Create);

You can add an application description by assigning a description to the TAppCommand instance:

  lAppCommand.description := 'Sample app description';

That's it. Build your console application and run it without parameters. The application will automatically display application help