Alternative Get Opt

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-- getopt_alt.lua

-- getopt, POSIX style command line argument parser
-- param arg contains the command line arguments in a standard table.
-- param options is a string with the letters that expect string values.
-- returns a table where associated keys are true, nil, or a string value.
-- The following example styles are supported
--   -a one  ==> opts["a"]=="one"
--   -bone   ==> opts["b"]=="one"
--   -c      ==> opts["c"]==true
--   --c=one ==> opts["c"]=="one"
--   -cdaone ==> opts["c"]==true opts["d"]==true opts["a"]=="one"
-- note POSIX demands the parser ends at the first non option
--      this behavior isn't implemented.

function getopt( arg, options )
  local tab = {}
  for k, v in ipairs(arg) do
    if string.sub( v, 1, 2) == "--" then
      local x = string.find( v, "=", 1, true )
      if x then tab[ string.sub( v, 3, x-1 ) ] = string.sub( v, x+1 )
      else      tab[ string.sub( v, 3 ) ] = true
      end
    elseif string.sub( v, 1, 1 ) == "-" then
      local y = 2
      local l = string.len(v)
      local jopt
      while ( y <= l ) do
        jopt = string.sub( v, y, y )
        if string.find( options, jopt, 1, true ) then
          if y < l then
            tab[ jopt ] = string.sub( v, y+1 )
            y = l
          else
            tab[ jopt ] = arg[ k + 1 ]
          end
        else
          tab[ jopt ] = true
        end
        y = y + 1
      end
    end
  end
  return tab
end

-- Test code
opts = getopt( arg, "ab" )
for k, v in pairs(opts) do
  print( k, v )
end

-- EOF

See Also

• GetOpt
• PosixGetOpt
• CommandLineModule