Re: Gengetopt 2.22 and --show-detailed-help

Hi there

nice to hear from you!

I think I've used a standard format for help output (e.g., it can be 
used by help2man).  But I'm not sure about that... any clue anyone?

cheers
	Lorenzo

T o n g wrote:
> Hi Lorenzo, 
> 
> Congratulation on the new Gengetopt v2.22, although the congratulation
> comes late :-). It's really a polished release. I like the new features
> like -no-help, --no-version, and especially --show-detailed-help. 
> 
> I'd like to make a suggestion regarding the format of --show-detailed-help:
> 
> Current practice (from gengetopt --detailed-help) will produce help like
> this: 
> 
>   -s, --str-opt=filename  A string option, for a filename
>   -m, --my-opt=INT        Another integer option, this time the description of 
>                             the option should be quite long to require 
>                             wrapping... possibly more than one wrapping :-) 
>                             especially if I
>                             require a line break
>   -i, --int-opt=INT       A int option
>   -F, --funct-opt         A function option
> 
>   A function option is basically an option with no argument.  It can be
>   used, e.g., to specify a specific behavior for a program.
> 
>   Well, this further explanation is quite useless, but it's only to show an 
>   example of an option with details, which will be printed only when 
> 
>   --detailed-help is given at the command line.
>       --flag-opt          A flag option  (default=off)
>       --long-opt=LONG     A long option
>       --def-opt=STRING    A string option with default  (default=`Hello')
>       --enum-opt=STRING   A string option with list of values  (possible 
>                             values="foo", "bar", "hello", "bye" 
>                             default=`hello')
>   -S, --secret=INT        hidden option will not appear in --help
>   -D, --dependant=INT     option that depends on str-opt
> 
> I.e., if the details is used sparely, the extra spaces around the detailed
> helps don't coherent with other no-space options.
> 
> However, if we remove the spaces, it will look like this:
> 
>   -s, --str-opt=filename  A string option, for a filename
>   -m, --my-opt=INT        Another integer option, this time the description of 
>                             the option should be quite long to require 
>                             wrapping... possibly more than one wrapping :-) 
>                             especially if I
>                             require a line break
>   -i, --int-opt=INT       A int option
>   -F, --funct-opt         A function option
>   A function option is basically an option with no argument.  It can be used, 
>   e.g., to specify a specific behavior for a program.
> 
>   Well, this further explanation is quite useless, but it's only to show an 
>   example of an option with details, which will be printed only when 
>   --detailed-help is given at the command line.
>       --flag-opt          A flag option  (default=off)
>       --long-opt=LONG     A long option
>       --def-opt=STRING    A string option with default  (default=`Hello')
>       --enum-opt=STRING   A string option with list of values  (possible 
>                             values="foo", "bar", "hello", "bye" 
>                             default=`hello')
>   -S, --secret=INT        hidden option will not appear in --help
>   -D, --dependant=INT     option that depends on str-opt
> 
> I.e., visually it is not quite obvious that the detailed help goes with
> the -F option. 
> 
> So, I'm wondering if we could change the format to look like this:
> 
>   -s, --str-opt=filename  A string option, for a filename
>   -m, --my-opt=INT        Another integer option, this time the description of 
>                             the option should be quite long to require 
>                             wrapping... possibly more than one wrapping :-) 
>                             especially if I
>                             require a line break
>   -i, --int-opt=INT       A int option
>   -F, --funct-opt         A function option
>         A function option is basically an option with no argument.  It can
>         be used, e.g., to specify a specific behavior for a program.
> 
>         Well, this further explanation is quite useless, but it's only to
>         show an example of an option with details, which will be printed
>         only when --detailed-help is given at the command line.
>       --flag-opt          A flag option  (default=off)
>       --long-opt=LONG     A long option
>       --def-opt=STRING    A string option with default  (default=`Hello')
>       --enum-opt=STRING   A string option with list of values  (possible 
>                             values="foo", "bar", "hello", "bye" 
>                             default=`hello')
>   -S, --secret=INT        hidden option will not appear in --help
>   -D, --dependant=INT     option that depends on str-opt
> 
> I.e., make it is a bit obvious visually that the detailed help goes
> with the -F option, and it won't hurt if all options detailed help
> have extra spaces around them.
> 
> What do you think? 
> 
> Thanks
> 


-- 
Lorenzo Bettini, PhD in Computer Science, DI, Univ. Torino
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