lua-optarg

Simple command line option parser for Lua which uses GNU style option help text as specification. A lighter alternative to pl.lapp.

It supports prefixed long option (eg. '--long-option'), short option (eg. '-h') s) and options with arguments.

Unlike pl.lapp it does not support ranges or default values.

Functions

function from_opthelp(helptext, argv, errfunc)

Parse argv option array according the specification in helptext. If argv is omitted (or nil) it wil use _G.arg.

If invalid options are found, errfunc is called and return value is returned. If errfunc is omitted (or nil), the will error message be printed to stderr.

The function returns two tables, one with the parsed options and one with the reminding arguments.

Option parsing is stopped at first non-option argument or at first --.

Example

opthelp = [[
 -a                 Short option.
 -b, --both         Both long and short option.
 -c OPTARG          Short option with required argument OPTARG.
 -d, --with-arg=OPTARG
                    Another option with both short and long name with reqired
                    argument OPTARG.

Options without required option arguments may be specified multiple times.
]]

opts, args = require('optarg').from_opthelp(opthelp)

if not opts then
	print("Usage: ".._G.arg[0]..": [-ab] [-c OPTARG] [-d OPTARG] [ARG...]")
	print(opthelp)
	os.exit(1)
end

if opts.a then
	print(("Option '-a' specified %d times."):format(opts.a))
end

-- note that opts.b == opts.both
if opts.b then
	print(("Option '-b' or '--both'  specified %d times."):format(opts.both))
end

if opts.c then
	print(("Option '-c' was set to '%s'."):format(opts.c))
end

--note that opts.d == opts["with-arg"]
if opts.d then
	print(("Option '-d' or '--with-arg' was set to '%s'.")
		:format(opts['with-arg']))
end

for i = 1,#args do
	print(("args[%d]=%s"):format(i, args[i]))
end

License

MIT