[Boost-bugs] [Boost C++ Libraries] #5201: Negative numbers as options and values not parsed correctly

Subject: [Boost-bugs] [Boost C++ Libraries] #5201: Negative numbers as options and values not parsed correctly
From: Boost C++ Libraries (noreply_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-02-18 21:42:32

#5201: Negative numbers as options and values not parsed correctly
-------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
 Reporter:  mloskot                  |       Owner:  vladimir_prus  
     Type:  Bugs                     |      Status:  new            
Milestone:  To Be Determined         |   Component:  program_options
  Version:  Boost Development Trunk  |    Severity:  Problem        
 Keywords:                           |  
-------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
 This issue has been reported initially on StackOverflow in question
 [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4107087/accepting-negative-doubles-

 with-boostprogram-options Accepting negative doubles with
 boost::program_options] and later reminded on the mailing list in thread
 [http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2011/02/176604.php program_options
 negative numbers]. Not sure if it is a bug or lack of feature, but seems
 it would be reasonable to have it solved.

 Simply, program_options can not parse negative numbers as values of
 options. For example:

 {{{
 mycommand --extent -1.0 -2.0 -3.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 --some-other-argument
 somevalue
 }}}

 I discussed this issue with Volodya on IRC and there seems to be possible
 and not difficult to implement solution. Here is the chat script:

 {{{
 Nov 10 17:04:17 <mloskot>    volodya: I think it's feasible to refactor
 the loops in the cmdline parser to handle multitoken options with negative
 numbers as values. I have an idea to add ::multitoken(int
 exact_tokens_num) and make parser consuming as much values as the exact
 number of tokens specified, regardless how the options look like
 Nov 10 17:04:26 <mloskot>    volodya: what you think about this idea?
 Nov 10 17:04:28 <spitzi>    The question is - supposed that I want to make
 some quick-and-dirty struct for the sake of having related, named fields
 tied together, but without going through writing c'tors and operators. Can
 a list of such structs be initialized with boost::assign::list_of ?
 Nov 10 17:05:30 <volodya>    mloskot: well, I think that if that
 translates into min and max number of tokesn of the option being equal to
 that value, it seems sane
 Nov 10 17:05:53 <mloskot>    volodya: yes, basically that would be the
 thing
 Nov 10 17:05:55 <volodya>    and of course, when min=max, there's no need
 to guessing.
 Nov 10 17:05:59 <volodya>    ok, sounds good.
 }}}

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/5201>
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