Clamp
=====
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"Clamp" is a minimal framework for command-line utilities.
It handles boring stuff like parsing the command-line, and generating help, so you can get on with making your command actually do stuff.
Not another one!
----------------
Yeah, sorry. There are a bunch of existing command-line parsing libraries out there, and Clamp draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including [Thor], [optparse], and [Clip]. In the end, though, I wanted a slightly rounder wheel. (Although, Clamp has a _lot_ in common with Ara T. Howard's [main.rb]. Had I been aware of that project at the time, I might not have written Clamp.)
[optparse]: http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/optparse/rdoc/index.html
[Thor]: http://github.com/wycats/thor
[Clip]: http://clip.rubyforge.org/
[main.rb]: https://github.com/ahoward/main
Quick Start
-----------
A typical Clamp script looks like this:
```ruby
require 'clamp'
Clamp do
option "--loud", :flag, "say it loud"
option ["-n", "--iterations"], "N", "say it N times", :default => 1 do |s|
Integer(s)
end
parameter "WORDS ...", "the thing to say", :attribute_name => :words
def execute
the_truth = words.join(" ")
the_truth.upcase! if loud?
iterations.times do
puts the_truth
end
end
end
```
Internally, Clamp models a command as a Ruby class (a subclass of `Clamp::Command`), and a command execution as an instance of that class. The example above is really just syntax-sugar for:
```ruby
require 'clamp'
class SpeakCommand < Clamp::Command
option "--loud", :flag, "say it loud"
option ["-n", "--iterations"], "N", "say it N times", :default => 1 do |s|
Integer(s)
end
parameter "WORDS ...", "the thing to say", :attribute_name => :words
def execute
the_truth = words.join(" ")
the_truth.upcase! if loud?
iterations.times do
puts the_truth
end
end
end
SpeakCommand.run
```
Class-level methods like `option` and `parameter` declare attributes, in a similar way to `attr_accessor`, and arrange for them to be populated automatically based on command-line arguments. They are also used to generate `help` documentation.
There are more examples demonstrating various features of Clamp [on Github][examples].
[examples]: https://github.com/mdub/clamp/tree/master/examples
Declaring options
-----------------
Options are declared using the `option` method. The three required arguments are:
1. the option switch (or switches),
2. an option argument name
3. a short description
For example:
```ruby
option "--flavour", "FLAVOUR", "ice-cream flavour"
```
It works a little like `attr_accessor`, defining reader and writer methods on the command class. The attribute name is inferred from the switch (in this case, "`flavour`"). When you pass options to your command, Clamp will populate the attributes, which are then available for use in your `#execute` method.
```ruby
def execute
puts "You chose #{flavour}. Excellent choice!"
end
```
If you don't like the inferred attribute name, you can override it:
```ruby
option "--type", "TYPE", "type of widget", :attribute_name => :widget_type
# to avoid clobbering Object#type
```
### Short/long option switches
The first argument to `option` can be an array, rather than a single string, in which case all the switches are treated as aliases:
```ruby
option ["-s", "--subject"], "SUBJECT", "email subject line"
```
### Flag options
Some options are just boolean flags. Pass "`:flag`" as the second parameter to tell Clamp not to expect an option argument:
```ruby
option "--verbose", :flag, "be chatty"
```
For flag options, Clamp appends "`?`" to the generated reader method; ie. you get a method called "`#verbose?`", rather than just "`#verbose`".
Negatable flags are easy to generate, too:
```ruby
option "--[no-]force", :flag, "be forceful (or not)"
```
Clamp will handle both "`--force`" and "`--no-force`" options, setting the value of "`#force?`" appropriately.
### Required options
Although "required option" is an oxymoron, Clamp lets you mark an option as required, and will verify that a value is provided:
```ruby
option "--password", "PASSWORD", "the secret password", :required => true
```
Note that it makes no sense to mark a `:flag` option, or one with a `:default`, as `:required`.
### Multivalued options
Declaring an option "`:multivalued`" allows it to be specified multiple times on the command line.
```ruby
option "--format", "FORMAT", "output format", :multivalued => true
```
The underlying attribute becomes an Array, and the suffix "`_list`" is appended to the default attribute name. In this case, an attribute called "`format_list`" would be generated (unless you override the default by specifying an `:attribute_name`).
### Hidden options
Declaring an option "`:hidden`" will cause it to be hidden from `--help` output.
```ruby
option "--some-option", "VALUE", "Just a little option", :hidden => true
```
Declaring parameters
--------------------
Positional parameters can be declared using `parameter`, specifying
1. the parameter name, and
2. a short description
For example:
```ruby
parameter "SRC", "source file"
```
Like options, parameters are implemented as attributes of the command, with the default attribute name derived from the parameter name (in this case, "`src`"). By convention, parameter names are specified in uppercase, to make them obvious in usage help.
### Optional parameters
Wrapping a parameter name in square brackets indicates that it's optional, e.g.
```ruby
parameter "[TARGET_DIR]", "target directory"
```
### Multivalued (aka "greedy") parameters
Three dots at the end of a parameter name makes it "greedy" - it will consume all remaining command-line arguments. For example:
```ruby
parameter "FILE ...", "input files", :attribute_name => :files
```
Like multivalued options, greedy parameters are backed by an Array attribute (named with a "`_list`" suffix, by default).
Parsing and validation of options and parameters
------------------------------------------------
When you `#run` a command, it will first attempt to `#parse` command-line arguments, and map them onto the declared options and parameters, before invoking your `#execute` method.
Clamp will verify that all required (ie. non-optional) parameters are present, and signal a error if they aren't.
### Validation
Both `option` and `parameter` accept an optional block. If present, the block will be
called with the raw string argument, and is expected to validate it. The value returned by the block will be assigned to the underlying attribute, so it's also a good place to coerce the String to a different type, if appropriate.
For example:
```ruby
option "--port", "PORT", "port to listen on" do |s|
Integer(s)
end
```
If the block raises an ArgumentError, Clamp will catch it, and report that the value was bad:
```ruby
!!!plain
ERROR: option '--port': invalid value for Integer: "blah"
```
For multivalued options and parameters, the validation block will be called for each value specified.
More complex validation, e.g. those involving multiple options/parameters, should be performed within the `#execute` method. Use `#signal_usage_error` to tell the user what they did wrong, e.g.
```ruby
def execute
if port < 1024 && user != 'root'
signal_usage_error "port restricted for non-root users"
end
# ... carry on ...
end
```
### Advanced option/parameter handling
While Clamp provides an attribute-writer method for each declared option or parameter, you always have the option of overriding it to provide custom argument-handling logic, e.g.
```ruby
parameter "SERVER", "location of server"
def server=(server)
@server_address, @server_port = server.split(":")
end
```
### Default values
Default values can be specified for options, and optional parameters:
```ruby
option "--flavour", "FLAVOUR", "ice-cream flavour", :default => "chocolate"
parameter "[HOST]", "server host", :default => "localhost"
```
For more advanced cases, you can also specify default values by defining a method called "`default_#{attribute_name}`":
```ruby
option "--http-port", "PORT", "web-server port", :default => 9000
option "--admin-port", "PORT", "admin port"
def default_admin_port
http_port + 1
end
```
### Environment variable support
Options (and optional parameters) can also be associated with environment variables:
```ruby
option "--port", "PORT", "the port to listen on", :environment_variable => "MYAPP_PORT" do |val|
val.to_i
end
parameter "[HOST]", "server address", :environment_variable => "MYAPP_HOST"
```
Clamp will check the specified envariables in the absence of values supplied on the command line, before looking for a default value.
Declaring Subcommands
---------------------
Subcommand support helps you wrap a number of related commands into a single script (ala tools like "`git`"). Clamp will inspect the first command-line argument (after options are parsed), and delegate to the named subcommand.
Unsuprisingly, subcommands are declared using the `subcommand` method. e.g.
```ruby
Clamp do
subcommand "init", "Initialize the repository" do
def execute
# ...
end
end
end
```
Clamp generates an anonymous subclass of the current class, to represent the subcommand. Alternatively, you can provide an explicit subcommand class:
```ruby
class MainCommand < Clamp::Command
subcommand "init", "Initialize the repository", InitCommand
end
class InitCommand < Clamp::Command
def execute
# ...
end
end
```
Like options, subcommands may have aliases:
```ruby
Clamp do
subcommand ["initialize", "init"], "Initialize the repository" do
# ...
end
end
```
### Default subcommand
You can set a default subcommand, at the class level, as follows:
```ruby
Clamp do
self.default_subcommand = "status"
subcommand "status", "Display current status" do
def execute
# ...
end
end
end
```
Then, if when no SUBCOMMAND argument is provided, the default will be selected.
### Subcommand options and parameters
Options are inheritable, so any options declared for a command are supported by it's sub-classes (e.g. those created using the block form of `subcommand`). Parameters, on the other hand, are not inherited - each subcommand must declare it's own parameter list.
Note that, if a subcommand accepts options, they must be specified on the command-line _after_ the subcommand name.
You can define a `subcommand_missing` method that is called when user tries to run an unknown subcommand:
```ruby
Clamp do
def subcommand_missing(name)
if name == "foo"
return Object.const_get(:FooPlugin) if Object.const_defined?(:FooPlugin)
abort "Subcommand 'foo' requires plugin X"
end
end
end
```
Getting help
------------
All Clamp commands support a "`--help`" option, which outputs brief usage documentation, based on those seemingly useless extra parameters that you had to pass to `option` and `parameter`.
```sh
$ speak --help
Usage:
speak [OPTIONS] WORDS ...
Arguments:
WORDS ... the thing to say
Options:
--loud say it loud
-n, --iterations N say it N times (default: 1)
-h, --help print help
```
Localization
------------
Clamp comes with support for overriding strings with custom translations. You can use localization library of your choice and override the strings at startup.
Example usage:
```ruby
require 'gettext'
Clamp.messages = {
:too_many_arguments => _("too many arguments"),
:option_required => _("option '%