Janus

An argument-parsing library for Go.

Version 2.1.0

API Reference



Install directly from Github:

$ go get github.com/dmulholl/janus/v2

Import the janus package:

import "github.com/dmulholl/janus/v2"

Alternatively, you can incorporate the single, public-domain janus.go file directly into your application. The library has no external dependencies.

Basic Usage

Initialize an argument parser, optionally specifying the application's help text and version string:

parser := janus.NewParser()

parser.Helptext = "Usage: foobar..."
parser.Version = "1.0"

Specifying help text activates an automatic --help flag; specifying a version string activates an automatic --version flag. (Automatic -h and -v shortcuts are also activated unless registered by other options.)

You can now register your application's options and commands on the parser using the registration functions described below. Once the required options and commands have been registered, call the parser's Parse() method to process the application's command line arguments:

parser.Parse()

Parsed option values can be retrieved from the parser instance itself.

Register Options

Janus supports long-form options, --foo, with single-character shortcuts, -f.

An option can have an unlimited number of long and short-form aliases. Aliases are specified via the name parameter which accepts a string of space-separated alternatives, e.g. "foo f".

Option values can be separated on the command line by either a space, --foo 123, or an equals symbol, --foo=123.

func (parser *ArgParser) NewFlag(name string)

Register a flag (a boolean option) with a default value of false. Flag options take no arguments but are either present (true) or absent (false).

func (parser *ArgParser) NewFloat(name string, fallback float64 = 0.0)

Register a floating-point option, optionally specifying a custom fallback value. (The default fallback value is 0.)

func (parser *ArgParser) NewInt(name string, fallback int = 0)

Register an integer option, optionally specifying a custom fallback value. (The default fallback value is 0.)

func (parser *ArgParser) NewString(name string, fallback string = "")

Register a string option, optionally specifying a custom fallback value. (The default fallback value is the empty string.)

Retrieve A Single Value

An option's value can be retrieved from the parser instance using any of its registered aliases.

Each option maintains an internal array of values — the value of the option is the final value in the array or the fallback value if the array is empty.

func (parser *ArgParser) Count(name string) int

Returns the number of times the specified option was found.

func (parser *ArgParser) Found(name string) bool

Returns true if the specified option was found.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetFloat(name string) float64

Returns the value of the specified floating-point option.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetInt(name string) int

Returns the value of the specified integer option.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetString(name string) string

Returns the value of the specified string option.

Retrieve Multiple Values

An option's internal array of values can be retrieved from the parser instance using any of its registered aliases.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetFloatList(name string) []float64

Returns the specified option's list of values.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetIntList(name string) []int

Returns the specified option's list of values.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetStringList(name string) []string

Returns the specified option's list of values.

Retrieve Positional Arguments

Options can be preceded, followed, or interspaced with positional arguments.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetArg(index int) string

Returns the positional argument at the specified index.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetArgs() []string

Returns the positional arguments as a slice of strings.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetArgsAsFloats() []float64

Attempts to parse and return the positional arguments as a slice of floats. Exits with an error message on failure.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetArgsAsInts() []int

Attempts to parse and return the positional arguments as a slice of integers. Exits with an error message on failure.

func (parser *ArgParser) HasArgs() bool

Returns true if at least one positional argument has been found.

func (parser *ArgParser) NumArgs() int

Returns the number of positional arguments.

Commands

Janus supports git-style command interfaces with arbitrarily-nested commands. Register a command on a parser instance using the NewCmd() method:

func (parser *ArgParser) NewCmd(name, helptext string, callback func(*ArgParser)) *ArgParser

This method returns a new ArgParser instance associated with the command. You can register the command's flags and options on this sub-parser using the standard methods listed above. (Note that you never need to call Parse() on a command parser - if a command is found, its arguments are parsed automatically.)

The following ArgParser methods are also available for processing commands manually:

func (parser *ArgParser) GetCmdName() string

Returns the command name, if the parser has found a command.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetCmdParser() *ArgParser

Returns the command's parser instance, if the parser has found a command.

func (parser *ArgParser) GetParent() *ArgParser

Returns a command parser's parent parser.

func (parser *ArgParser) HasCmd() bool

Returns true if the parser has found a command.