net.sourceforge.argparse4j.inf

Interface Argument

All Known Implementing Classes:

ArgumentImpl

public interface Argument

This interface provides a way to specify parameters to argument to be processed in ArgumentParser object.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
Argument	action(ArgumentAction action) Sets the action to be taken when this argument is encountered at the command line.
Argument	choices(ArgumentChoice choice) Sets ArgumentChoice object which inspects value so that it fulfills its criteria.
<E> Argument	choices(Collection<E> values) Sets a collection of the allowable values for the argument.
<E> Argument	choices(E... values) Sets a collection of the allowable values for the argument.
Argument	dest(String dest) The name of the attribute to be added.
Object	getConst() Returns const value.
Object	getDefault() Returns default value.
FeatureControl	getDefaultControl() Returns default control.
String	getDest() Returns dest value.
FeatureControl	getHelpControl() Returns help control.
Argument	help(FeatureControl ctrl) Sets special value to control help message handling.
Argument	help(String help) Sets the brief description of what the argument does.
Argument	metavar(String... metavar) Set the name for the argument in usage messages.
Argument	nargs(int n) Sets the number of command line arguments that should be consumed.
Argument	nargs(String n) Sets the number of command line arguments that should be consumed.
Argument	required(boolean required) If true is given, this named argument must be specified in command line otherwise error will be issued.
<E> Argument	setConst(E... values) Sets list of constant values that are not read from the command line but are required for the various actions.
Argument	setConst(Object value) Sets constant values that are not read from the command line but are required for the various actions.
<E> Argument	setDefault(E... values) Sets list of values which should be used if the command line argument is not present.
Argument	setDefault(FeatureControl ctrl) Sets special value to control default value handling.
Argument	setDefault(Object value) Sets value which should be used if the command line argument is not present.
String	textualName() Returns textual representation of the argument name.
<T> Argument	type(ArgumentType<T> type) Sets ArgumentType object which converts command line argument to appropriate type.
<T> Argument	type(Class<T> type) Sets the type which the command line argument should be converted to.

Method Detail

nargs

Argument nargs(int n)

Sets the number of command line arguments that should be consumed.

Don't give this method '*', '+' or '?'. They are converted to int value and it is not what you expect. For these strings, use nargs(String).

Parameters:

n - A positive integer

Returns:

this

nargs

Argument nargs(String n)

Sets the number of command line arguments that should be consumed.

This method takes one of following string: "*", "+" and "?". If "*" is given, All command line arguments present are gathered into a List. If "+" is given, just like "*", all command line arguments present are gathered into a List. Additionally, an error message will be generated if there wasn't at least one command line argument present. If "?" is given, one argument will be consumed from the command line if possible, and produced as a single item. If no command line argument is present, the value from setDefault(Object) will be produced. Note that for named arguments, there is an additional case - the option string is present but not followed by a command line argument. In this case the value from setConst(Object) will be produced.

Parameters:

n - "*", "+" or "?"

Returns:

this

setConst

Argument setConst(Object value)

Sets constant values that are not read from the command line but are required for the various actions.

The const value defaults to null.

Parameters:

value - The const value

Returns:

this

setConst

<E> Argument setConst(E... values)

Sets list of constant values that are not read from the command line but are required for the various actions.

The given values will be converted to List. The const value defaults to null. If you want to set non-List item, use setConst(Object).

Parameters:

values - The const values

Returns:

this

setDefault

Argument setDefault(Object value)

Sets value which should be used if the command line argument is not present.

The default value defaults to null.

Parameters:

value - The default value

Returns:

this

setDefault

<E> Argument setDefault(E... values)

Sets list of values which should be used if the command line argument is not present.

The default value defaults to null. The given values will be converted to List. If you want to set non-List item, use setDefault(Object).

Parameters:

values - The default values

Returns:

this

setDefault

Argument setDefault(FeatureControl ctrl)

Sets special value to control default value handling.

Currently, only FeatureControl.SUPPRESS is available. If it is given, default value is not add as a attribute.

Parameters:

ctrl - The special value to control default value handling.

Returns:

this

type

<T> Argument type(Class<T> type)

Sets the type which the command line argument should be converted to.

By default, type is String, which means no conversion is made. The type must have a constructor which takes one String argument.

As a convenience, if one of following primitive types (boolean.class, byte.class, short.class, int.class, long.class, float.class and double.class) is specified, it is converted to its wrapped type counterpart. For example, if int.class is given, it is silently converted to Integer.class.

Parameters:

type - The type which the command line argument should be converted to.

Returns:

this

type

<T> Argument type(ArgumentType<T> type)

Sets ArgumentType object which converts command line argument to appropriate type.

This would be useful if you need to convert the command line argument into a type which does not have a constructor with one String argument.

Parameters:

type - The ArgumentType object

Returns:

this

required

Argument required(boolean required)

If true is given, this named argument must be specified in command line otherwise error will be issued.

The default value is false. This object is a positional argument, this property is ignored.

Parameters:

required - true or false

Returns:

this

action

Argument action(ArgumentAction action)

Sets the action to be taken when this argument is encountered at the command line.

Parameters:

action - ArgumentAction object

Returns:

this

choices

Argument choices(ArgumentChoice choice)

Sets ArgumentChoice object which inspects value so that it fulfills its criteria.

This method is useful if more complex inspection is necessary than basic choices(Object...).

Parameters:

choice - ArgumentChoice object.

Returns:

this

choices

<E> Argument choices(Collection<E> values)

Sets a collection of the allowable values for the argument.

Parameters:

values - A collection of the allowable values

Returns:

this

choices

<E> Argument choices(E... values)

Sets a collection of the allowable values for the argument.

Parameters:

values - A collection of the allowable values

Returns:

this

dest

Argument dest(String dest)

The name of the attribute to be added.

The default value is For positional arguments, The default value is normally supplied as the first argument to ArgumentParser.parseArgs(String[]). For named arguments, ArgumentParser generates the default value of dest by taking the first long option string and stripping away the initial -- string. If no long option strings were supplied, dest will be derived from the first short option string by stripping the initial - character. Any internal - characters will be converted to _.

Parameters:

dest - The name of the attribute to be added

Returns:

this

metavar

Argument metavar(String... metavar)

Set the name for the argument in usage messages.

Parameters:

metavar - The name for the argument in usage messages

Returns:

this

help

Argument help(String help)

Sets the brief description of what the argument does.

Parameters:

help - The brief description of what the argument does

Returns:

this

help

Argument help(FeatureControl ctrl)

Sets special value to control help message handling.

Currently, only FeatureControl.SUPPRESS is available. If it is given, the help entry for this option is not displayed in the help message.

Parameters:

ctrl - The special value to control help message handling.

Returns:

this

textualName

String textualName()

Returns textual representation of the argument name.

For named arguments, this method returns the first argument given in ArgumentContainer.addArgument(String...). For positional arguments, this method returns the flags joined with "/", e.g. -f/--foo.

Returns:

The textual representation of the argument name.

getDest

String getDest()

Returns dest value.

Returns:

The dest value

getConst

Object getConst()

Returns const value.

Returns:

The const value

getDefault

Object getDefault()

Returns default value.

Returns:

The default value

getDefaultControl

FeatureControl getDefaultControl()

Returns default control.

Returns:

The default control

getHelpControl

FeatureControl getHelpControl()

Returns help control.

Returns:

The help control