[Boost-users] feature request: program_options: generate OS dependent options

Subject: [Boost-users] feature request: program_options: generate OS dependent options
From: Hicham Mouline (hicham_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-12-08 06:35:43

Hello,

Following the discussion in
http://lists.boost.org/boost-users/2009/12/54327.php, let me then request
that the feature be implemented in program_options.

The 2 systems that I know a little about are POSIX(thanks Ovanes) and
Windows:
.POSIX: Typically, the command line would options with the '-' being the
delimiter, like for the 'ls' program on a linux system:

  ls --help
  ....
  -a, --all                  do not ignore entries starting with .
  -A, --almost-all           do not list implied . and ..
      --author               with -l, print the author of each file
  -b, --escape               print octal escapes for nongraphic characters
      --block-size=SIZE      use SIZE-byte blocks
      --help                 print this 
  ....

.Windows
  dir /?: Typically, the '/' is the delimiter.
  ...
  /B          Uses bare format (no heading information or summary).
  ...

So in fact, I have 2 feature requests :-)   :

1. Detect automatically the OS platform and the appropriate delimiter ( / or
- or -- ) for win or POSIX

2. Detect the special option (help) that dislays the usage, which is /? on
windows and --help on POSIX, and treat it symbolically in the user code
calling program_options, ie not having to test for the "help" string as
shown in the tutorial.

I can create the trac tickets if preferred,

Regards,