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diff --git a/info/argparser.texinfo b/info/argparser.texinfo index 8557382..ff355d5 100644 --- a/info/argparser.texinfo +++ b/info/argparser.texinfo @@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled @menu * Overview:: Brief overview of @command{argparser}. +* Python verison:: Using the python version. * GNU Free Documentation License:: Copying and sharing this manual. @end menu @@ -60,10 +61,103 @@ Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled @chapter Overview Command line argument parser library for multiple languages with the -capability of both @code{-} and @code{+} short arguments and both -@code{--} and @code{++} long arguments. It supports variadic arguments, +capability of both @code{-} and @code{+} short options and both +@code{--} and @code{++} long options. It supports variadic options, colours and @code{--} and temporary @code{--} using @code{++}. +A variadic option is a option that takes all arguments placed after +it as an argument associated with it, rather than just the directly +following argument as an argumented option does. + + + +@node Python verison +@chapter Python verison + +To use argparser you need to import @code{ArgParser} from @code{argparser} +using the instruction @code{from argparser import *}. + +The class @code{ArgParser} is used for parsing argument and requires an +instance. @code{ArgParser}'s constructor takes two manditory arguments +and three optional arguments. The first argument, @var{description}, is +a short, single-line, description of the program. The second argument, +@var{usage}, is multi-line usage text that is recommended to contain ANSI +colour escape sequences (for portability ESC 39m, ESC 49m and colours +beyond the lower 8 are not not recommended to be used); @code{None} can +be used if you do not have a usage descriptor. +@code{ArgParser}'s constructors there optional arguments are: +@var{longdescription}, @var{program} and @var{usestderr}. +@var{longdescription} is a long, multi-line, description of the program; +@code{None} can be used if you do not have a long description. +@var{program} is the program part of the executed command, but if you +rather, you can provide an exact name. You can also use the static function +@code{ArgParser.parent_name} to get the program part of the executed command +of a parent proces, it takes two optional arguments: @var{levels}, the +number of parent levels, by default 1; and @var{hasinterpretor}, whether +to get the name from an invocation of Python, by default false. +@var{usestderr} is by default @code{False} which means that printing is +done to stdout, otherwise, printing is done to stderr. + +Before parsing arguments you need to populate the @code{ArgParser} +instance with valid options. There are three methods for this, +@code{add_argumentless}, @code{add_argumented} and @code{add_variadic}, +that adds argumentless options, argumented options and variadic options +respectively. With the exception that @code{add_argumentless} does not +have the parameter @var{arg}, these three arguments has one manditory +argument, @var{alternatives}, and three optional arguments: @var{default}, +@var{arg}, @var{help}. @var{default}'s deault value is zero, and either +the primary alternative or its index in @var{alternatives}. +@var{alternatives} is a list of alternatives, for example, a help option +could have @code{['-h', '--help']}. @var{arg} is a descriptive short name +of a argument associated with the option, and @var{help} is description +of the option and may span multiple lines but should only do so if the +lines below the first is just extra details. + +When you have populated your @code{ArgParser} with options, it is time +to parse arguments, it is done with the method @code{parses} that optional +takes and list of arguments. If you choose to use a list of arguments +rather than letting @code{ArgParser} use arguments used to start the +program, the first ement will not be parsed as it is assumed to be the +executable. + +If you now want to use any option alternative rather than just the +primary (using just the primary is good to keep your code consistent) +invoke the nulladic method @code{support_alternatives}. + +Before using your options you should so some checks that the combination +of options and arguments are valid. There are some methods provided to do +this. @code{test_exclusiveness} checks that no confliction options are +used, as the first argument, a set of options provided from which at most +one may be used; as a optional second argument, a return code can be provided +if you want the program to exit if there are option conflicts. +@code{test_allowed} checks that only allowed options are used, as the first +argument, a set of options provided in which all used arguments must exist; +as a optional second argument, a return code can be provided if you want the +program to exit if there are out of context option. +@code{test_files} checks that the number of arguments not associated with +an option is within an acccepted range, it takes three option arguments, +@var{min}, @var{max} and @var{exit_value}. @var{min} is the minimum count, +@var{max} is the maximum count, @code{None} if unlimited, and @var{exit_value} +is a return code can be provided if you want the program to exit if there +are out of context option. Remember that you should also check that the +number of times an option is used is acceptable. + +After running @code{parses}, your @code{ArgParser} has five attributes: +@var{unrecognisedCount}, the number of unrecognised options; and +@var{message}, the join of @var{files} which is all arguments not +associated with an option, @var{arguments} the parsed arguments, and +@var{argcount}, the number of arguments in @var{arguments}. + +All valid options are stored in your @code{ArgParser}'s @var{opts}, +it is a dictionary from the option to either @code{None} if the option +has not been used, or a list of all used values, in order. A variadic +option without any argumnt will have a empty list and a argumentless +option will have list filled with @code{None}. + +To print a help page based on the constructor arguments and populated +options invoke the nulladic method @code{help}. + + @node GNU Free Documentation License @appendix GNU Free Documentation License |