Command line option handling - Interest?

From: Sven M. Hallberg (pesco_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-05-10 09:22:08

Hi,

I am in the process of writing a library for processing command line options.
I've noticed there is a library for command line option _parsing_ by Bill
Kempf in "the vault" by Bill Kempf. As the last part currently missing from my
implementation is the option parser (POSIX getopt proved insufficent as many
can probably imagine) I am looking into using that library. Therefore I ask
two questions: Is there interest in Boost for an option processor (details
following below), and is it right to consider Bill's library for use in it (I
haven't looked into it all too deep, I'm basically asking for the current
state of discussion on it).

Here's a synopsis of my processor: One creates an option_processor object and
registers supported options with it, giving the following information:
 - short/long ways for denominating the option on the command line
 - a description
 - a handler function object

Once that is done, the processor can be asked about an info table about the
known options as frequently seen on programs' "--help" screens. Finally of
course it can be given argc/argv and it will parse it for options and call the
appropriate handlers, throwing exceptions on errors (missing arguments, etc.)

Thanks in advance for your time,
Sven M. Hallberg <pesco_at_[hidden]>

-- 
"Would the All-Seeing Eye please look in my direction?"
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