Prohelp CLI bridges

Table of Contents

• When to use what
• Quick start (D + arsd.cli)
• Dependencies
• Changelog
• License

prohelp-cli connects Prohelp (progressive help) to command-line application frameworks (parsing, routing, subcommands).

Moved with Prohelp into OpenShellOrg (scaffold previously under Dev-Centr).

There is no widely agreed term for “library that builds CLI tools” versus “program that is a CLI.” In OpenShellOrg naming:

• prohelp — help engine, specification, preview tool, global help binary, C-oriented library core

• prohelp-cli — bridges that wire Prohelp into D CLI routers (and future adapters)

If you are starting a new D command-line tool, use a CLI framework here plus Prohelp — not the raw prohelp.intercept call alone unless you have a good reason (minimal C embed, custom router, prototype).

When to use what

Goal	Use	Not
Progressive help only, C/BetterC, existing argv parser	prohelp library (C mode planned)	prohelp-cli
New D CLI with subcommands and flags	prohelp-cli + arsd.cli (or similar) + prohelp	Raw intercept only
Author/preview help.sdl before shipping	prohelp executable from prohelp repo	—
Global help <command> on PATH	help binary from prohelp (dub build -c help)	—
Python/Rust/Go CLI	Prohelp via FFI + your framework (Click, clap, cobra, …)	prohelp-cli (D-only bridges)

Quick start (D + arsd.cli)

import arsd.cli;
import prohelp.intercept;

class App {
    void create(string[] files) { /* ... */ }
}

int main(string[] args) {
    if (prohelp.intercept(args)) return 0;
    return runCli!App(args);
}

Help triggers (?, help, -h, …) are handled by Prohelp. Execution (mytool create --file x) is handled by arsd.cli. See How Prohelp fits arsd.cli for the full model, folder conventions, and roadmap (UDA codegen, runCli wrapper).

Dependencies

• prohelp — progressive help library

• arsd.cli — OpenD CLI router (add to your app when implementing; not yet a hard dependency of this package scaffold)

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md.

License

Same terms as prohelp (PCDL / project LICENSE).