Parse command line arguments in a Ruby script
I personally use Docopt. This is much more clear, maintainable and easy to read.
Have a look at the Ruby implementation's documentation for examples. The usage is really straightforward.
gem install docopt
Ruby code:
doc = <<DOCOPT
My program who says hello
Usage:
#{__FILE__} --first_name=<first_name> --last_name=<last_name>
DOCOPT
begin
args = Docopt::docopt(doc)
rescue Docopt::Exit => e
puts e.message
exit
end
print "Hello #{args['--first_name']} #{args['--last_name']}"
Then calling:
$ ./says_hello.rb --first_name=Homer --last_name=Simpsons
Hello Homer Simpsons
And without arguments:
$ ./says_hello.rb
Usage:
says_hello.rb --first_name=<first_name> --last_name=<last_name>
Based on the answer by @MartinCortez here's a short one-off that makes a hash of key/value pairs, where the values must be joined with an =
sign. It also supports flag arguments without values:
args = Hash[ ARGV.join(' ').scan(/--?([^=\s]+)(?:=(\S+))?/) ]
…or alternatively…
args = Hash[ ARGV.flat_map{|s| s.scan(/--?([^=\s]+)(?:=(\S+))?/) } ]
Called with -x=foo -h --jim=jam
it returns {"x"=>"foo", "h"=>nil, "jim"=>"jam"}
so you can do things like:
puts args['jim'] if args.key?('h')
#=> jam
While there are multiple libraries to handle this—including GetoptLong
included with Ruby—I personally prefer to roll my own. Here's the pattern I use, which makes it reasonably generic, not tied to a specific usage format, and flexible enough to allow intermixed flags, options, and required arguments in various orders:
USAGE = <<ENDUSAGE
Usage:
docubot [-h] [-v] [create [-s shell] [-f]] directory [-w writer] [-o output_file] [-n] [-l log_file]
ENDUSAGE
HELP = <<ENDHELP
-h, --help Show this help.
-v, --version Show the version number (#{DocuBot::VERSION}).
create Create a starter directory filled with example files;
also copies the template for easy modification, if desired.
-s, --shell The shell to copy from.
Available shells: #{DocuBot::SHELLS.join(', ')}
-f, --force Force create over an existing directory,
deleting any existing files.
-w, --writer The output type to create [Defaults to 'chm']
Available writers: #{DocuBot::Writer::INSTALLED_WRITERS.join(', ')}
-o, --output The file or folder (depending on the writer) to create.
[Default value depends on the writer chosen.]
-n, --nopreview Disable automatic preview of .chm.
-l, --logfile Specify the filename to log to.
ENDHELP
ARGS = { :shell=>'default', :writer=>'chm' } # Setting default values
UNFLAGGED_ARGS = [ :directory ] # Bare arguments (no flag)
next_arg = UNFLAGGED_ARGS.first
ARGV.each do |arg|
case arg
when '-h','--help' then ARGS[:help] = true
when 'create' then ARGS[:create] = true
when '-f','--force' then ARGS[:force] = true
when '-n','--nopreview' then ARGS[:nopreview] = true
when '-v','--version' then ARGS[:version] = true
when '-s','--shell' then next_arg = :shell
when '-w','--writer' then next_arg = :writer
when '-o','--output' then next_arg = :output
when '-l','--logfile' then next_arg = :logfile
else
if next_arg
ARGS[next_arg] = arg
UNFLAGGED_ARGS.delete( next_arg )
end
next_arg = UNFLAGGED_ARGS.first
end
end
puts "DocuBot v#{DocuBot::VERSION}" if ARGS[:version]
if ARGS[:help] or !ARGS[:directory]
puts USAGE unless ARGS[:version]
puts HELP if ARGS[:help]
exit
end
if ARGS[:logfile]
$stdout.reopen( ARGS[:logfile], "w" )
$stdout.sync = true
$stderr.reopen( $stdout )
end
# etc.
There is a number of command line arguments parsers in Ruby:
GetoptLong
- Included instdlib
OptionParser
- No longer part ofstdlib
, since Ruby 3.0.0 converted to a separateoptparse
gemslop
optimist
- and many more...
Personally I'd choose slop
or optimist
, those are not part of standard Ruby installation.
gem install slop
But it offers simplicity and code readability. Assuming slightly more complex example with required arguments and default values:
require 'slop'
begin
opts = Slop.parse do |o|
o.int '-a', '--age', 'Current age', default: 42
o.string '-f', '--first_name', 'The first name', required: true
o.string '-l', '--last_name', 'The last name', required: true
o.bool '-v', '--verbose', 'verbose output', default: false
o.on '-h','--help', 'print the help' do
puts o
exit
end
end
p opts.to_hash
rescue Slop::Error => e
puts e.message
end
optimist
formerly known as trollop
, it's very easy to ready, with minimum boilerplate code:
gem install optimist
require 'optimist'
opts = Optimist::options do
opt :verbose, "verbose mode"
opt :first_name, "The first name", type: :string, required: true
opt :last_name, "The last name", type: :string, required: true
opt :age, "Current age", default: 42
end
p opts
Similar example using OptionParser
:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'optparse'
require 'ostruct'
begin
options = OpenStruct.new
OptionParser.new do |opt|
opt.on('-a', '--age AGE', 'Current age') { |o| options.age = o }
opt.on('-f', '--first_name FIRSTNAME', 'The first name') { |o| options.first_name = o }
opt.on('-l', '--last_name LASTNAME', 'The last name') { |o| options.last_name = o }
opt.on('-v', '--verbose', 'Verbose output') { |o| options.verbose = true }
end.parse!
options[:age] = 42 if options[:age].nil?
raise OptionParser::MissingArgument.new('--first_name') if options[:first_name].nil?
raise OptionParser::MissingArgument.new('--last_name') if options[:last_name].nil?
options[:verbose] = false if options[:verbose].nil?
rescue OptionParser::ParseError => e
puts e.message
exit
end
GetoptLong
parsing is even more complicated:
require 'getoptlong'
opts = GetoptLong.new(
[ '--help', '-h', GetoptLong::NO_ARGUMENT ],
[ '--first_name', '-f', GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT ],
[ '--last_name', '-l', GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT ],
[ '--age','-a', GetoptLong::OPTIONAL_ARGUMENT ],
[ '--verbose','-v', GetoptLong::OPTIONAL_ARGUMENT ]
)
begin
options = {}
options[:verbose] = false
options[:age] = 42
opts.each do |opt, arg|
case opt
when '--help'
puts <<-EOF
usage: ./getlongopts.rb [options]
-a, --age Current age
-f, --first_name The first name
-l, --last_name The last name
-v, --verbose verbose output
-h, --help print the help
EOF
when '--first_name'
options[:first_name] = arg
when '--last_name'
options[:last_name] = arg
when '--age'
options[:age] = arg.to_i
when '--verbose'
options[:verbose] = arg
else
puts "unknown option `#{opt}`"
exit 1
end
end
raise GetoptLong::MissingArgument.new('Missing argument --first_name') if options[:first_name].nil?
raise GetoptLong::MissingArgument.new('Missing argument --last_name') if options[:last_name].nil?
rescue GetoptLong::Error => e
puts e.message
exit
end
puts options
Command line arguments was never meant to be a rocket science task, spend your time on reading/writing more useful code :)
Ruby's built-in OptionParser does this nicely. Combine it with OpenStruct and you're home free:
require 'optparse'
options = {}
OptionParser.new do |opt|
opt.on('--first_name FIRSTNAME') { |o| options[:first_name] = o }
opt.on('--last_name LASTNAME') { |o| options[:last_name] = o }
end.parse!
puts options
options
will contain the parameters and values as a hash.
Saving and running that at the command line with no parameters results in:
$ ruby test.rb
{}
Running it with parameters:
$ ruby test.rb --first_name=foo --last_name=bar
{:first_name=>"foo", :last_name=>"bar"}
That example is using a Hash to contain the options, but you can use an OpenStruct which will result in usage like your request:
require 'optparse'
require 'ostruct'
options = OpenStruct.new
OptionParser.new do |opt|
opt.on('-f', '--first_name FIRSTNAME', 'The first name') { |o| options.first_name = o }
opt.on('-l', '--last_name LASTNAME', 'The last name') { |o| options.last_name = o }
end.parse!
puts options.first_name + ' ' + options.last_name
$ ruby test.rb --first_name=foo --last_name=bar
foo bar
It even automatically creates your -h
or --help
option:
$ ruby test.rb -h
Usage: test [options]
--first_name FIRSTNAME
--last_name LASTNAME
You can use short flags too:
require 'optparse'
options = {}
OptionParser.new do |opt|
opt.on('-f', '--first_name FIRSTNAME') { |o| options[:first_name] = o }
opt.on('-l', '--last_name LASTNAME') { |o| options[:last_name] = o }
end.parse!
puts options
Running that through its paces:
$ ruby test.rb -h
Usage: test [options]
-f, --first_name FIRSTNAME
-l, --last_name LASTNAME
$ ruby test.rb -f foo --l bar
{:first_name=>"foo", :last_name=>"bar"}
It's easy to add inline explanations for the options too:
OptionParser.new do |opt|
opt.on('-f', '--first_name FIRSTNAME', 'The first name') { |o| options[:first_name] = o }
opt.on('-l', '--last_name LASTNAME', 'The last name') { |o| options[:last_name] = o }
end.parse!
and:
$ ruby test.rb -h
Usage: test [options]
-f, --first_name FIRSTNAME The first name
-l, --last_name LASTNAME The last name
OptionParser also supports converting the parameter to a type, such as an Integer or an Array. Refer to the documentation for more examples and information.
You should also look at the related questions list to the right:
- "Really Cheap Command-Line Option Parsing in Ruby"
- "Pass variables to Ruby script via command line"