| 1 | # Arg
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| 2 |
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| 3 | `arg` is an unopinionated, no-frills CLI argument parser.
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| 4 |
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| 5 | ## Installation
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| 6 |
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| 7 | ```bash
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| 8 | npm install arg
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| 9 | ```
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| 10 |
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| 11 | ## Usage
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| 12 |
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| 13 | `arg()` takes either 1 or 2 arguments:
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| 14 |
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| 15 | 1. Command line specification object (see below)
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| 16 | 2. Parse options (_Optional_, defaults to `{permissive: false, argv: process.argv.slice(2), stopAtPositional: false}`)
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| 17 |
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| 18 | It returns an object with any values present on the command-line (missing options are thus
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| 19 | missing from the resulting object). Arg performs no validation/requirement checking - we
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| 20 | leave that up to the application.
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| 21 |
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| 22 | All parameters that aren't consumed by options (commonly referred to as "extra" parameters)
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| 23 | are added to `result._`, which is _always_ an array (even if no extra parameters are passed,
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| 24 | in which case an empty array is returned).
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| 25 |
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| 26 | ```javascript
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| 27 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 28 |
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| 29 | // `options` is an optional parameter
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| 30 | const args = arg(
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| 31 | spec,
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| 32 | (options = { permissive: false, argv: process.argv.slice(2) })
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| 33 | );
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| 34 | ```
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| 35 |
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| 36 | For example:
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| 37 |
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| 38 | ```console
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| 39 | $ node ./hello.js --verbose -vvv --port=1234 -n 'My name' foo bar --tag qux --tag=qix -- --foobar
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| 40 | ```
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| 41 |
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| 42 | ```javascript
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| 43 | // hello.js
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| 44 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 45 |
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| 46 | const args = arg({
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| 47 | // Types
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| 48 | '--help': Boolean,
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| 49 | '--version': Boolean,
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| 50 | '--verbose': arg.COUNT, // Counts the number of times --verbose is passed
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| 51 | '--port': Number, // --port <number> or --port=<number>
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| 52 | '--name': String, // --name <string> or --name=<string>
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| 53 | '--tag': [String], // --tag <string> or --tag=<string>
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| 54 |
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| 55 | // Aliases
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| 56 | '-v': '--verbose',
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| 57 | '-n': '--name', // -n <string>; result is stored in --name
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| 58 | '--label': '--name' // --label <string> or --label=<string>;
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| 59 | // result is stored in --name
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| 60 | });
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| 61 |
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| 62 | console.log(args);
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| 63 | /*
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| 64 | {
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| 65 | _: ["foo", "bar", "--foobar"],
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| 66 | '--port': 1234,
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| 67 | '--verbose': 4,
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| 68 | '--name': "My name",
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| 69 | '--tag': ["qux", "qix"]
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| 70 | }
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| 71 | */
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| 72 | ```
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| 73 |
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| 74 | The values for each key=>value pair is either a type (function or [function]) or a string (indicating an alias).
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| 75 |
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| 76 | - In the case of a function, the string value of the argument's value is passed to it,
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| 77 | and the return value is used as the ultimate value.
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| 78 |
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| 79 | - In the case of an array, the only element _must_ be a type function. Array types indicate
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| 80 | that the argument may be passed multiple times, and as such the resulting value in the returned
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| 81 | object is an array with all of the values that were passed using the specified flag.
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| 82 |
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| 83 | - In the case of a string, an alias is established. If a flag is passed that matches the _key_,
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| 84 | then the _value_ is substituted in its place.
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| 85 |
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| 86 | Type functions are passed three arguments:
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| 87 |
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| 88 | 1. The parameter value (always a string)
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| 89 | 2. The parameter name (e.g. `--label`)
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| 90 | 3. The previous value for the destination (useful for reduce-like operations or for supporting `-v` multiple times, etc.)
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| 91 |
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| 92 | This means the built-in `String`, `Number`, and `Boolean` type constructors "just work" as type functions.
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| 93 |
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| 94 | Note that `Boolean` and `[Boolean]` have special treatment - an option argument is _not_ consumed or passed, but instead `true` is
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| 95 | returned. These options are called "flags".
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| 96 |
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| 97 | For custom handlers that wish to behave as flags, you may pass the function through `arg.flag()`:
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| 98 |
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| 99 | ```javascript
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| 100 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 101 |
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| 102 | const argv = [
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| 103 | '--foo',
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| 104 | 'bar',
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| 105 | '-ff',
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| 106 | 'baz',
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| 107 | '--foo',
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| 108 | '--foo',
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| 109 | 'qux',
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| 110 | '-fff',
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| 111 | 'qix'
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| 112 | ];
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| 113 |
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| 114 | function myHandler(value, argName, previousValue) {
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| 115 | /* `value` is always `true` */
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| 116 | return 'na ' + (previousValue || 'batman!');
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| 117 | }
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| 118 |
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| 119 | const args = arg(
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| 120 | {
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| 121 | '--foo': arg.flag(myHandler),
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| 122 | '-f': '--foo'
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| 123 | },
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| 124 | {
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| 125 | argv
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| 126 | }
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| 127 | );
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| 128 |
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| 129 | console.log(args);
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| 130 | /*
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| 131 | {
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| 132 | _: ['bar', 'baz', 'qux', 'qix'],
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| 133 | '--foo': 'na na na na na na na na batman!'
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| 134 | }
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| 135 | */
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| 136 | ```
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| 137 |
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| 138 | As well, `arg` supplies a helper argument handler called `arg.COUNT`, which equivalent to a `[Boolean]` argument's `.length`
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| 139 | property - effectively counting the number of times the boolean flag, denoted by the key, is passed on the command line..
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| 140 | For example, this is how you could implement `ssh`'s multiple levels of verbosity (`-vvvv` being the most verbose).
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| 141 |
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| 142 | ```javascript
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| 143 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 144 |
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| 145 | const argv = ['-AAAA', '-BBBB'];
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| 146 |
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| 147 | const args = arg(
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| 148 | {
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| 149 | '-A': arg.COUNT,
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| 150 | '-B': [Boolean]
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| 151 | },
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| 152 | {
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| 153 | argv
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| 154 | }
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| 155 | );
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| 156 |
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| 157 | console.log(args);
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| 158 | /*
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| 159 | {
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| 160 | _: [],
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| 161 | '-A': 4,
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| 162 | '-B': [true, true, true, true]
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| 163 | }
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| 164 | */
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| 165 | ```
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| 166 |
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| 167 | ### Options
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| 168 |
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| 169 | If a second parameter is specified and is an object, it specifies parsing options to modify the behavior of `arg()`.
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| 170 |
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| 171 | #### `argv`
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| 172 |
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| 173 | If you have already sliced or generated a number of raw arguments to be parsed (as opposed to letting `arg`
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| 174 | slice them from `process.argv`) you may specify them in the `argv` option.
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| 175 |
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| 176 | For example:
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| 177 |
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| 178 | ```javascript
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| 179 | const args = arg(
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| 180 | {
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| 181 | '--foo': String
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| 182 | },
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| 183 | {
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| 184 | argv: ['hello', '--foo', 'world']
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| 185 | }
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| 186 | );
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| 187 | ```
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| 188 |
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| 189 | results in:
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| 190 |
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| 191 | ```javascript
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| 192 | const args = {
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| 193 | _: ['hello'],
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| 194 | '--foo': 'world'
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| 195 | };
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| 196 | ```
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| 197 |
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| 198 | #### `permissive`
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| 199 |
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| 200 | When `permissive` set to `true`, `arg` will push any unknown arguments
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| 201 | onto the "extra" argument array (`result._`) instead of throwing an error about
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| 202 | an unknown flag.
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| 203 |
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| 204 | For example:
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| 205 |
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| 206 | ```javascript
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| 207 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 208 |
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| 209 | const argv = [
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| 210 | '--foo',
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| 211 | 'hello',
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| 212 | '--qux',
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| 213 | 'qix',
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| 214 | '--bar',
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| 215 | '12345',
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| 216 | 'hello again'
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| 217 | ];
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| 218 |
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| 219 | const args = arg(
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| 220 | {
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| 221 | '--foo': String,
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| 222 | '--bar': Number
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| 223 | },
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| 224 | {
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| 225 | argv,
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| 226 | permissive: true
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| 227 | }
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| 228 | );
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| 229 | ```
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| 230 |
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| 231 | results in:
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| 232 |
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| 233 | ```javascript
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| 234 | const args = {
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| 235 | _: ['--qux', 'qix', 'hello again'],
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| 236 | '--foo': 'hello',
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| 237 | '--bar': 12345
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| 238 | };
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| 239 | ```
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| 240 |
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| 241 | #### `stopAtPositional`
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| 242 |
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| 243 | When `stopAtPositional` is set to `true`, `arg` will halt parsing at the first
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| 244 | positional argument.
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| 245 |
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| 246 | For example:
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| 247 |
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| 248 | ```javascript
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| 249 | const arg = require('arg');
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| 250 |
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| 251 | const argv = ['--foo', 'hello', '--bar'];
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| 252 |
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| 253 | const args = arg(
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| 254 | {
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| 255 | '--foo': Boolean,
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| 256 | '--bar': Boolean
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| 257 | },
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| 258 | {
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| 259 | argv,
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| 260 | stopAtPositional: true
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| 261 | }
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| 262 | );
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| 263 | ```
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| 264 |
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| 265 | results in:
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| 266 |
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| 267 | ```javascript
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| 268 | const args = {
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| 269 | _: ['hello', '--bar'],
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| 270 | '--foo': true
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| 271 | };
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| 272 | ```
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| 273 |
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| 274 | ### Errors
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| 275 |
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| 276 | Some errors that `arg` throws provide a `.code` property in order to aid in recovering from user error, or to
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| 277 | differentiate between user error and developer error (bug).
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| 278 |
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| 279 | ##### ARG_UNKNOWN_OPTION
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| 280 |
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| 281 | If an unknown option (not defined in the spec object) is passed, an error with code `ARG_UNKNOWN_OPTION` will be thrown:
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| 282 |
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| 283 | ```js
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| 284 | // cli.js
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| 285 | try {
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| 286 | require('arg')({ '--hi': String });
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| 287 | } catch (err) {
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| 288 | if (err.code === 'ARG_UNKNOWN_OPTION') {
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| 289 | console.log(err.message);
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| 290 | } else {
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| 291 | throw err;
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| 292 | }
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| 293 | }
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| 294 | ```
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| 295 |
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| 296 | ```shell
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| 297 | node cli.js --extraneous true
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| 298 | Unknown or unexpected option: --extraneous
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| 299 | ```
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| 300 |
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| 301 | # FAQ
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| 302 |
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| 303 | A few questions and answers that have been asked before:
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| 304 |
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| 305 | ### How do I require an argument with `arg`?
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| 306 |
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| 307 | Do the assertion yourself, such as:
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| 308 |
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| 309 | ```javascript
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| 310 | const args = arg({ '--name': String });
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| 311 |
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| 312 | if (!args['--name']) throw new Error('missing required argument: --name');
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| 313 | ```
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| 314 |
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| 315 | # License
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| 316 |
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| 317 | Released under the [MIT License](LICENSE.md).
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