Debate Club

A simple, light-weight argument parser for node.js.

How to use

To start we send in what flags we wish to accept in an object where every acceptable flag is listed as an object. These objects can accept an alias letter and if the flag is boolean (defaults to true).

The aliases define what "miniflags" which are accepted.

The option _miniflags can also be added as an object which takes special miniflag combinations. To get these add - as a prefix to the name.

test.js:

const dc = require('debate-club');

const res = dc({
	list: {
		alias: 'l',
	},
	all: {
		alias: 'a',
		boolean: true,
	},
	in: {
		boolean: false,
	},
	land: {},
	stone: {
		alias: 's',
		boolean: false,
	},
	_miniflags: {
		als: {
			boolean: false,
		},
	},
});

In this case we accept the flags --list, -l, --all, -a, --in, --land, --stone and -s. The flags -las can also be taken which would mark both list and all as true.

Any combination of miniflags can be given together in any order, so in addition to the above flags we also accept -la, -ls, -as, -al, -sl, -sa, -las, -lsa, -als, -asl, -sla and -sal, where -als is a specially defined miniflag combo.

When taking non-boolean flags they will save the next non-flag as their value or written with an =-sign after the flag, i.e. --in=hello. This also works with miniflags (-s=rock). In the case of miniflag combinations all flags will be given the same value and boolean flags will be marked.

Any undefined (long form) flags will be saved and assumed to be boolean, unless they are written with an =-sign after the flag, i.e. --nop=pop. Long form flags can also be accessed without first running the initializing function.

Methods:

Method	Description	Return value
dc(object)	Initialises the program taking a definition of what flags are expected.	Returns an object where the key success is a boolean that returns false if any undefined input is recived and true otherwise. The error key is an array that contains all unexpected arguments. And key args returns an in-order array of all args that are not flags or values of flags.
dc(string)	Same as dc.get(string).	Returns value of the flag string or true if it has been set or null if not.
dc.get(string)	Method to get value of flag string.	Returns value of the flag string or true if it has been set or null if not. Miniflag combinations are got with - as a prefix, i.e. dc.get('_als').
dc.args()	Gives all arguments that aren't flags or values thereof.	Returns an in-order array of all args that are not flags or values of flags.
dc.args('full')	Gives all arguments.	Returns an in-order list of all arguments given.
dc.flags()	Gives the entire internal object made to track flags.	Returns an object where the keys are the flags found in the arguments along with their values.
dc.reset()	Resets the entire internal state of debate-club, undoing any work done to parse arguments following the given original definition for the initialization.	Has no return value.

Note: The success key is depricated and will be phased out, to check for issues with given arguments use the error key instead.

Instead of:

if (!res.success) console.log('Invalid argument');

Use:

if (res.error[0]) console.log('Invalid argument');

or

if (res.error.length) console.log('Invalid argument');

Examples:

test.js (continuation):

console.log(res);
console.log(dc('list'));
console.log(dc('all'));
console.log(dc('in'));
console.log(dc('land'));
console.log(dc('stone'));
console.log(dc('nop'));

CLI:

 $ node test -ls=hello mask
 > { success: true, error: [], args: [node, test, mask]}
 > true
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > hello
 > null

 $ node test --in --stone common -la
 > { success: true, error: [], args: [node, test]}
 > true
 > true
 > common
 > null
 > common
 > null

 $ node test end --land open
 > { success: true, error: [], args: [node, test, end, open]}
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > true
 > null
 > null

 $ node test -s --land ball --in round stealth -la close
 > { success: true, error: [], args: [node, test, stealth, close]}
 > true
 > true
 > round
 > true
 > ball
 > null

 $ node test --nop pop
 > { success: false, error: [ 'Longflag "nop" undefined' ], args: [node, test, pop]}
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > true

 $ node test -ys rock
 > { success: false, error: [ 'Miniflag "y" undefined' ], args: [node, test]}
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > rock
 > null

 $ node test --nop=pop -i mode
 > { success: false, error: [ 'Longflag "nop" undefined', 'Miniflag "i" undefined' ], args: [node, test, mode]}
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > null
 > pop

no-init-test.js:

const dc = require('debate-club');

console.log(dc('all'));

CLI:

$ node no-init-test
> null

$ node no-init-test --all
> true

$ node no-init-test --all=objects
> objects