org.apache.commons.cli

Class Option

Implemented Interfaces:
Cloneable

public class Option
extends java.lang.Object
implements Cloneable

Describes a single command-line option. It maintains information regarding the short-name of the option, the long-name, if any exists, a flag indicating if an argument is required for this option, and a self-documenting description of the option.

An Option is not created independantly, but is create through an instance of Options.

Version:
$Revision: 1.6 $

Authors:
bob mcwhirter (bob @ werken.com)
James Strachan

See Also:
Options, CommandLine

Field Summary

static int
UNINITIALIZED
constant that specifies the number of argument values has not been specified
static int
UNLIMITED_VALUES
constant that specifies the number of argument values is infinite
private String
argName
argName specifies the name of the argument for this option
private String
description
description of the option
private boolean
hasArg
hasArg specifies whether this option has an associated argument
private char
id
option char (only valid for single character options)
private String
longOpt
longOpt is the long representation of the option
private int
numberOfArgs
numberOfArgs specifies the number of argument values this option can have
private String
opt
opt the single character representation of the option
private boolean
optionalArg
specifies whether the argument value of this Option is optional
private boolean
required
required specifies whether this option is required to be present
private Object
type
the type of this Option
private ArrayList
values
the list of argument values *
private char
valuesep
the character that is the value separator

Constructor Summary

Option(String opt, String description)
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.
Option(String opt, String longOpt, boolean hasArg, String description)
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.
Option(String opt, boolean hasArg, String description)
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.

Method Summary

boolean
addValue(String value)
Adds the specified value to this Option.
Object
clone()
String
getArgName()
Gets the display name for the argument value.
int
getArgs()
Returns the number of argument values this Option can take.
String
getDescription()
Retrieve the self-documenting description of this Option
int
getId()
Returns the id of this Option.
String
getLongOpt()
Retrieve the long name of this Option.
String
getOpt()
Retrieve the name of this Option.
Object
getType()
Retrieve the type of this Option.
String
getValue()
String
getValue(String defaultValue)
String
getValue(int index)
char
getValueSeparator()
Returns the value separator character.
String[]
getValues()
java.util.List
getValuesList()
boolean
hasArg()
Query to see if this Option requires an argument
boolean
hasArgName()
Returns whether the display name for the argument value has been set.
boolean
hasArgs()
Query to see if this Option can take many values
boolean
hasLongOpt()
Query to see if this Option has a long name
boolean
hasOptionalArg()
boolean
isRequired()
Query to see if this Option requires an argument
private boolean
isValidChar(char c)
Returns whether the specified character is a valid character.
private boolean
isValidOpt(char c)
Returns whether the specified character is a valid Option.
void
setArgName(String argName)
Sets the display name for the argument value.
void
setArgs(int num)
Sets the number of argument values this Option can take.
void
setLongOpt(String longOpt)
Sets the long name of this Option.
void
setOptionalArg(boolean optionalArg)
Sets whether this Option can have an optional argument.
void
setRequired(boolean required)
Sets whether this Option is mandatory.
void
setType(Object type)
Sets the type of this Option.
void
setValueSeparator(char sep)
Sets the value separator.
String
toString()
Dump state, suitable for debugging.
private void
validateOption(String opt)
Validates whether opt is a permissable Option shortOpt.

Field Details

UNINITIALIZED

public static final int UNINITIALIZED
constant that specifies the number of argument values has not been specified

Field Value:
-1


UNLIMITED_VALUES

public static final int UNLIMITED_VALUES
constant that specifies the number of argument values is infinite

Field Value:
-2


argName

private String argName
argName specifies the name of the argument for this option


description

private String description
description of the option


hasArg

private boolean hasArg
hasArg specifies whether this option has an associated argument


id

private char id
option char (only valid for single character options)


longOpt

private String longOpt
longOpt is the long representation of the option


numberOfArgs

private int numberOfArgs
numberOfArgs specifies the number of argument values this option can have


opt

private String opt
opt the single character representation of the option


optionalArg

private boolean optionalArg
specifies whether the argument value of this Option is optional


required

private boolean required
required specifies whether this option is required to be present


type

private Object type
the type of this Option


values

private ArrayList values
the list of argument values *


valuesep

private char valuesep
the character that is the value separator

Constructor Details

Option

public Option(String opt,
              String description)
            throws IllegalArgumentException
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.

Parameters:
opt - short representation of the option
description - describes the function of the option


Option

public Option(String opt,
              String longOpt,
              boolean hasArg,
              String description)
            throws IllegalArgumentException
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.

Parameters:
opt - short representation of the option
longOpt - the long representation of the option
hasArg - specifies whether the Option takes an argument or not
description - describes the function of the option


Option

public Option(String opt,
              boolean hasArg,
              String description)
            throws IllegalArgumentException
Creates an Option using the specified parameters.

Parameters:
opt - short representation of the option
hasArg - specifies whether the Option takes an argument or not
description - describes the function of the option

Method Details

addValue

public boolean addValue(String value)
Adds the specified value to this Option.

Parameters:
value - is a/the value of this Option


clone

public Object clone()

Returns:
a copy of this Option


getArgName

public String getArgName()
Gets the display name for the argument value.

Returns:
the display name for the argument value.


getArgs

public int getArgs()
Returns the number of argument values this Option can take.

Returns:
num the number of argument values


getDescription

public String getDescription()
Retrieve the self-documenting description of this Option

Returns:
The string description of this option


getId

public int getId()
Returns the id of this Option. This is only set when the Option shortOpt is a single character. This is used for switch statements.

Returns:
the id of this Option


getLongOpt

public String getLongOpt()
Retrieve the long name of this Option.

Returns:
Long name of this option, or null, if there is no long name


getOpt

public String getOpt()
Retrieve the name of this Option.

It is this String which can be used with CommandLine.hasOption(String opt) and CommandLine.getOptionValue(String opt) to check for existence and argument.

Returns:
The name of this option


getType

public Object getType()
Retrieve the type of this Option.

Returns:
The type of this option


getValue

public String getValue()

Returns:
the value/first value of this Option or null if there are no values.


getValue

public String getValue(String defaultValue)

Returns:
the value/first value of this Option or the defaultValue if there are no values.


getValue

public String getValue(int index)
            throws IndexOutOfBoundsException

Returns:
the specified value of this Option or null if there are no values.


getValueSeparator

public char getValueSeparator()
Returns the value separator character.

Returns:
the value separator character.


getValues

public String[] getValues()

Returns:
the values of this Option as a String array or null if there are no values


getValuesList

public java.util.List getValuesList()

Returns:
the values of this Option as a List or null if there are no values


hasArg

public boolean hasArg()
Query to see if this Option requires an argument

Returns:
boolean flag indicating if an argument is required


hasArgName

public boolean hasArgName()
Returns whether the display name for the argument value has been set.

Returns:
if the display name for the argument value has been set.


hasArgs

public boolean hasArgs()
Query to see if this Option can take many values

Returns:
boolean flag indicating if multiple values are allowed


hasLongOpt

public boolean hasLongOpt()
Query to see if this Option has a long name

Returns:
boolean flag indicating existence of a long name


hasOptionalArg

public boolean hasOptionalArg()

Returns:
whether this Option can have an optional argument


isRequired

public boolean isRequired()
Query to see if this Option requires an argument

Returns:
boolean flag indicating if an argument is required


isValidChar

private boolean isValidChar(char c)
Returns whether the specified character is a valid character.

Parameters:
c - the character to validate

Returns:
true if c is a letter.


isValidOpt

private boolean isValidOpt(char c)
Returns whether the specified character is a valid Option.

Parameters:
c - the option to validate

Returns:
true if c is a letter, ' ', '?' or '@', otherwise false.


setArgName

public void setArgName(String argName)
Sets the display name for the argument value.

Parameters:
argName - the display name for the argument value.


setArgs

public void setArgs(int num)
Sets the number of argument values this Option can take.

Parameters:
num - the number of argument values


setLongOpt

public void setLongOpt(String longOpt)
Sets the long name of this Option.

Parameters:
longOpt - the long name of this Option


setOptionalArg

public void setOptionalArg(boolean optionalArg)
Sets whether this Option can have an optional argument.

Parameters:
optionalArg - specifies whether the Option can have an optional argument.


setRequired

public void setRequired(boolean required)
Sets whether this Option is mandatory.

Parameters:
required - specifies whether this Option is mandatory


setType

public void setType(Object type)
Sets the type of this Option.

Parameters:
type - the type of this Option


setValueSeparator

public void setValueSeparator(char sep)
Sets the value separator. For example if the argument value was a Java property, the value separator would be '='.

Parameters:
sep - The value separator.


toString

public String toString()
Dump state, suitable for debugging.

Returns:
Stringified form of this object


validateOption

private void validateOption(String opt)
            throws IllegalArgumentException
Validates whether opt is a permissable Option shortOpt. The rules that specify if the opt is valid are:
  • opt is not NULL
  • a single character opt that is either ' '(special case), '?', '@' or a letter
  • a multi character opt that only contains letters.

Parameters:
opt - The option string to validate