termparse

𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗲 _

A minimal node js CLI maker.

Note: Version 2 has breaking changes so make sure to read below and make changes to your application accordingly

v2.0.3

• modified the look of usage menu, made it cleaner
• now args are accessible within the run property of addCommand using this.args. Check below for example.

v2.0.2 (breaking changes)

• Removed previous methods and added chaining of methods. setFlags can be chained with addCommand
• setFlags takes in multiple flag property. check below for example

Technology used:

No external dependencies used apart from chalk.js for coloured outputs.

Features:

• Parses command line arguments like
  • -flag=value
  • -flag value
• Allows user to set commands
• Can have same named flags for different commands
• Generates usage details of the CLI application

Getting started

• use NPM bash npm i termparse and you are ready to go

Demo

const Termparse = require("termparse");

//create a instance
const tp=new Termparse();

//1st command
tp.addCommand({
    name:"cmd1",
    usage:"this is command 1",
    run:function(){
    	//adding functionality to cmd1
	//this.getFlag(flagName) returns flag object
        console.log(`accessing flags using getFlag`,this.getFlag("flag1"));
        //way to access arguments
        console.log(this.args)
    }
}).setFlags({ //chaining setFlags with addCommand
    name:"flag1",
    usage:"this is flag 1 for command 1",
    type:"string",
    value:"hahaha"
},{
    name:"flag2",
    usage:"this is flag 2 for command 1"
    //no type and value passed implies default: type:"boolean" and value:false
});

// 2nd command
tp.addCommand({
    name:"cmd2",
    usage:"this is command 2",
    run:function(){
        //another way to access flag object this.flags.<flag_name>
        console.log(`another way to access flag`,this.flags.gas1);
	//another way to access args (non flag type)
	console.log(tp.args);
    }
}).setFlags({
    name:"gas1",
    usage:"this is flag 1 (gas 1) for command 2"
    type:"number",
    value:2000
});

// accessing help/usage menu
tp.showHelp()

//get args from comamnd line
var args=process.argv.slice(2);
//pass arguments to termparse
tp.parse(args);

Usage:

addCommand(options)

Adds commands to the CLI application. Takes command property object as input like so

{
  "name": "name of command here",
  "usage": "usage details of the command",
  "run": "adds functionality to commad"
}

• usage takes the details of what the command does which is recommended to generate a auto-usage guide.
• run takes function and the function is called when the command is used in terminal.

NOTE: do not pass fat arrow function or ()=>{} to run. Rather use function(){}.

setFlags(options...)

Adds flags/options to a specific command of your CLI application. This function is used by chaining it to the addCommand({...}) function.

Takes in multiple flag property objects as shown in the very first example.

{
  "name": "name of flag",
  "type": "type of flag",
  "value": "value of flag",
  "usage": "usage details"
}

• type can be either boolean/string/number. If no type is passed then default is boolean.

• value if flag type is boolean then it takes true/false, default being false in boolean. If flag type is string then it takes string as value, default being empty string.

getFlag(flag_name)

Gets flag/option object of a specific command of your CLI application. Can be used within the run property of the addCommand({...})

• flag takes name of the flag

returns flag property object

//content of flag property object
{
  "type": "type of flag",
  "value": "value of flag",
  "usage": "usage of the flag",
  "present": "whether flag is passed as arg or not"
}

using getFlag() lets user use the flags value to do various functions.