Annotation Type CommandLine.Command
- Enclosing class:
CommandLine
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Target({TYPE,LOCAL_VARIABLE,PACKAGE})
public static @interface CommandLine.Command
Annotate your class with @Command
when you want more control over the format of the generated help
message.
@Command(name = "Encrypt", description = "Encrypt FILE(s), or standard input, to standard output or to the output file.", footer = "Copyright (c) 2017") public class Encrypt { @Parameters(paramLabel = "FILE", type = File.class, description = "Any number of input files") private List<File> files = new ArrayList<File>(); @Option(names = { "-o", "--out" }, description = "Output file (default: print to console)") private File outputFile; }
The structure of a help message looks like this:
- [header]
- [synopsis]:
Usage: <commandName> [OPTIONS] [FILE...]
- [description]
- [parameter list]:
[FILE...] Any number of input files
- [option list]:
-h, --help prints this help message and exits
- [footer]
-
Optional Element Summary
Optional ElementsModifier and TypeOptional ElementDescriptionboolean
Specifytrue
to generate an abbreviated synopsis like"<main> [OPTIONS] [PARAMETERS...]"
.Set the heading preceding the subcommands list.String[]
Specify one or more custom synopsis lines to display instead of an auto-generated synopsis.String[]
Optional text to display between the synopsis line(s) and the list of options.Set the heading preceding the description section.String[]
Optional text to display after the list of options.Set the heading preceding the footer section.String[]
Optional summary description of the command, shown before the synopsis.Set the heading preceding the header section.Program name to show in the synopsis.Set the heading preceding the options list.Set the heading preceding the parameters list.char
Prefix required options with this character in the options list.String that separates options from option parameters.boolean
Specifytrue
to show default values in the description column of the options list (except for boolean options).boolean
Specifyfalse
to show Options in declaration order.Class<?>[]
A list of classes to instantiate and register as subcommands.Set the heading preceding the synopsis text.String[]
Version information for this command, to print to the console when the user specifies an option to request version help.
-
Element Details
-
name
String nameProgram name to show in the synopsis. If omitted,"<main class>"
is used. For declaratively added subcommands, this attribute is also used by the parser to recognize subcommands in the command line arguments.- Returns:
- the program name to show in the synopsis
- See Also:
- Default:
"<main class>"
-
subcommands
Class<?>[] subcommandsA list of classes to instantiate and register as subcommands. When registering subcommands declaratively like this, you don't need to call theCommandLine.addSubcommand(String, Object)
method. For example, this:@Command(subcommands = { GitStatus.class, GitCommit.class, GitBranch.class }) public class Git { ... } CommandLine commandLine = new CommandLine(new Git());
is equivalent to this:// alternative: programmatically add subcommands. // NOTE: in this case there should be no `subcommands` attribute on the @Command annotation. @Command public class Git { ... } CommandLine commandLine = new CommandLine(new Git()) .addSubcommand("status", new GitStatus()) .addSubcommand("commit", new GitCommit()) .addSubcommand("branch", new GitBranch());
- Returns:
- the declaratively registered subcommands of this command, or an empty array if none
- Since:
- 0.9.8
- See Also:
- Default:
{}
-
separator
String separatorString that separates options from option parameters. Default is"="
. Spaces are also accepted.- Returns:
- the string that separates options from option parameters, used both when parsing and when generating usage help
- See Also:
- Default:
"="
-
version
String[] versionVersion information for this command, to print to the console when the user specifies an option to request version help. This is not part of the usage help message.- Returns:
- a string or an array of strings with version information about this command.
- Since:
- 0.9.8
- See Also:
- Default:
{}
-
headerHeading
String headerHeadingSet the heading preceding the header section. May contain embedded format specifiers.- Returns:
- the heading preceding the header section
- See Also:
- Default:
""
-
header
String[] headerOptional summary description of the command, shown before the synopsis.- Returns:
- summary description of the command
- See Also:
- Default:
{}
-
synopsisHeading
String synopsisHeadingSet the heading preceding the synopsis text. May contain embedded format specifiers. The default heading is"Usage: "
(without a line break between the heading and the synopsis text).- Returns:
- the heading preceding the synopsis text
- See Also:
- Default:
"Usage: "
-
abbreviateSynopsis
boolean abbreviateSynopsisSpecifytrue
to generate an abbreviated synopsis like"<main> [OPTIONS] [PARAMETERS...]"
. By default, a detailed synopsis with individual option names and parameters is generated.- Returns:
- whether the synopsis should be abbreviated
- See Also:
- Default:
false
-
customSynopsis
String[] customSynopsisSpecify one or more custom synopsis lines to display instead of an auto-generated synopsis.- Returns:
- custom synopsis text to replace the auto-generated synopsis
- See Also:
- Default:
{}
-
descriptionHeading
String descriptionHeadingSet the heading preceding the description section. May contain embedded format specifiers.- Returns:
- the heading preceding the description section
- See Also:
- Default:
""
-
description
String[] descriptionOptional text to display between the synopsis line(s) and the list of options.- Returns:
- description of this command
- See Also:
- Default:
{}
-
parameterListHeading
String parameterListHeadingSet the heading preceding the parameters list. May contain embedded format specifiers.- Returns:
- the heading preceding the parameters list
- See Also:
- Default:
""
-
optionListHeading
String optionListHeadingSet the heading preceding the options list. May contain embedded format specifiers.- Returns:
- the heading preceding the options list
- See Also:
- Default:
""
-
sortOptions
boolean sortOptionsSpecifyfalse
to show Options in declaration order. The default is to sort alphabetically.- Returns:
- whether options should be shown in alphabetic order.
- See Also:
- Default:
true
-
requiredOptionMarker
char requiredOptionMarkerPrefix required options with this character in the options list. The default is no marker: the synopsis indicates which options and parameters are required.- Returns:
- the character to show in the options list to mark required options
- See Also:
- Default:
' '
-
showDefaultValues
boolean showDefaultValuesSpecifytrue
to show default values in the description column of the options list (except for boolean options). False by default.- Returns:
- whether the default values for options and parameters should be shown in the description column
- See Also:
- Default:
false
-
commandListHeading
String commandListHeadingSet the heading preceding the subcommands list. May contain embedded format specifiers. The default heading is"Commands:%n"
(with a line break at the end).- Returns:
- the heading preceding the subcommands list
- See Also:
- Default:
"Commands:%n"
-