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Tk_ParseArgv(3tk)




Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

_________________________________________________________________


NAME

     Tk_ParseArgv - process command-line options


SYNOPSIS

     #include <tk.h>

     int
     Tk_ParseArgv(interp, tkwin, argcPtr, argv, argTable, flags)


ARGUMENTS

     Tcl_Interp *interp (in)             Interpreter to  use  for
                                         returning   error   mes-
                                         sages.

     Tk_Window tkwin (in)                Window to use when argu-
                                         ments     specify     Tk
                                         options.  If NULL,  then
                                         no  Tk  options  will be
                                         processed.

     int argcPtr (in/out)                Pointer  to  number   of
                                         arguments in argv;  gets
                                         modified to hold  number
                                         of unprocessed arguments
                                         that  remain  after  the
                                         call.

     const char **argv (in/out)          Command  line  arguments
                                         passed  to main program.
                                         Modified to hold  unpro-
                                         cessed   arguments  that
                                         remain after the call.

     Tk_ArgvInfo *argTable (in)          Array    of     argument
                                         descriptors,  terminated
                                         by  element  with   type
                                         TK_ARGV_END.

     int flags (in)                      If  non-zero,  then   it
                                         specifies  one  or  more
                                         flags that  control  the
                                         parsing   of  arguments.
                                         Different flags  may  be
                                         OR'ed   together.    The
                                         flags currently  defined
                                         are
                                         TK_ARGV_DONT_SKIP_FIRST_ARG,
                                         TK_ARGV_NO_ABBREV,
                                         TK_ARGV_NO_LEFTOVERS,
                                         and TK_ARGV_NO_DEFAULTS.

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

_________________________________________________________________


DESCRIPTION

     Tk_ParseArgv processes an array  of  command-line  arguments
     according  to a table describing the kinds of arguments that
     are expected.  Each of the arguments in argv is processed in
     turn:   if  it  matches  one of the entries in argTable, the
     argument is processed according to that entry and discarded.
     The  arguments  that  do  not match anything in argTable are
     copied down to the beginning of argv (retaining their origi-
     nal  order)  and  returned to the caller.  At the end of the
     call Tk_ParseArgv sets *argcPtr to hold the number of  argu-
     ments  that  are  left in argv, and argv[*argcPtr] will hold
     the value NULL.  Normally, Tk_ParseArgv assumes that argv[0]
     is  a  command  name, so it is treated like an argument that
     does not match argTable and returned to  the  caller;   how-
     ever, if the TK_ARGV_DONT_SKIP_FIRST_ARG bit is set in flags
     then argv[0] will be processed just like the other  elements
     of argv.

     Tk_ParseArgv normally returns the value TCL_OK.  If an error
     occurs  while  parsing  the  arguments,  then  TCL_ERROR  is
     returned and Tk_ParseArgv will leave  an  error  message  in
     interp->result in the standard Tcl fashion.  In the event of
     an error return, *argvPtr will not have been  modified,  but
     argv  could  have  been  partially  modified.   The possible
     causes of errors are explained below.

     The argTable array specifies the kinds of arguments that are
     expected;  each of its entries has the following structure:
          typedef struct {
              char *key;
              int type;
              char *src;
              char *dst;
              char *help;
          } Tk_ArgvInfo;
     The key field is a string such as "-display" or  "-bg"  that
     is  compared with the values in argv.  Type indicates how to
     process an argument that matches key (more on  this  below).
     Src  and  dst  are  additional values used in processing the
     argument.  Their exact usage depends on type, but  typically
     src  indicates  a value and dst indicates where to store the
     value.  The char * declarations for src and dst  are  place-
     holders:   the  actual types may be different.  Lastly, help
     is a string giving a brief description of this option;  this
     string is printed when users ask for help about command-line
     options.

     When processing an argument in argv,  Tk_ParseArgv  compares
     the argument to each of the key's in argTable.  Tk_ParseArgv
     selects the first specifier whose key matches  the  argument

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

     exactly, if such a specifier exists.  Otherwise Tk_ParseArgv
     selects a specifier for  which  the  argument  is  a  unique
     abbreviation.   If the argument is a unique abbreviation for
     more than one specifier, then  an  error  is  returned.   If
     there is no matching entry in argTable, then the argument is
     skipped and returned to the caller.

     Once a matching argument specifier  is  found,  Tk_ParseArgv
     processes  the  argument  according to the type field of the
     specifier.  The argument that matched  key  is  called  "the
     matching  argument"  in  the descriptions below.  As part of
     the processing, Tk_ParseArgv may also use the next  argument
     in  argv  after  the matching argument, which is called "the
     following argument".  The legal values  for  type,  and  the
     processing that they cause, are as follows:

     TK_ARGV_END
          Marks the end of the table.  The last entry in argTable
          must  have  this  type;   all  of  its other fields are
          ignored and it will never match any arguments.

     TK_ARGV_CONSTANT
          Src is treated as an integer and dst is  treated  as  a
          pointer  to  an  integer.   Src is stored at *dst.  The
          matching argument is discarded.

     TK_ARGV_INT
          The following argument must contain an  integer  string
          in  the  format  accepted by strtol (e.g.  "0" and "0x"
          prefixes may be used to specify  octal  or  hexadecimal
          numbers, respectively).  Dst is treated as a pointer to
          an integer;  the following argument is converted to  an
          integer value and stored at *dst.  Src is ignored.  The
          matching and following  arguments  are  discarded  from
          argv.

     TK_ARGV_FLOAT
          The following argument must  contain  a  floating-point
          number  in  the  format  accepted  by  strtol.   Dst is
          treated as the address of a  double-precision  floating
          point  value;  the following argument is converted to a
          double-precision value and stored at *dst.  The  match-
          ing and following arguments are discarded from argv.

     TK_ARGV_STRING
          In this form, dst is treated as a pointer  to  a  (char
          *);  Tk_ParseArgv  stores at *dst a pointer to the fol-
          lowing argument, and discards the matching and  follow-
          ing arguments from argv.  Src is ignored.

     TK_ARGV_UID
          This form is similar to TK_ARGV_STRING, except that the

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

          argument  is turned into a Tk_Uid by calling Tk_GetUid.
          Dst is treated as a pointer to a  Tk_Uid;  Tk_ParseArgv
          stores  at *dst the Tk_Uid corresponding to the follow-
          ing argument, and discards the matching  and  following
          arguments from argv.  Src is ignored.

     TK_ARGV_CONST_OPTION
          This form causes a Tk option  to  be  set  (as  if  the
          option  command  had  been  invoked).  The src field is
          treated as a pointer to a string giving the value of an
          option,  and dst is treated as a pointer to the name of
          the option.  The matching argument  is  discarded.   If
          tkwin  is  NULL,  then argument specifiers of this type
          are ignored (as if they did not exist).

     TK_ARGV_OPTION_VALUE
          This form is similar  to  TK_ARGV_CONST_OPTION,  except
          that  the value of the option is taken from the follow-
          ing argument instead of from src.  Dst is used  as  the
          name  of the option.  Src is ignored.  The matching and
          following arguments are discarded.  If tkwin  is  NULL,
          then  argument  specifiers of this type are ignored (as
          if they did not exist).

     TK_ARGV_OPTION_NAME_VALUE
          In this case the following argument  is  taken  as  the
          name  of  a  Tk  option  and the argument after that is
          taken as the value for that option.  Both src  and  dst
          are  ignored.   All  three arguments are discarded from
          argv.  If tkwin is NULL, then  argument  specifiers  of
          this type are ignored (as if they did not exist).

     TK_ARGV_HELP
          When this kind of option is  encountered,  Tk_ParseArgv
          uses  the  help  fields of argTable to format a message
          describing all the valid  arguments.   The  message  is
          placed   in  interp->result  and  Tk_ParseArgv  returns
          TCL_ERROR.  When  this  happens,  the  caller  normally
          prints  the  help message and aborts.  If the key field
          of a TK_ARGV_HELP specifier is NULL, then the specifier
          will  never  match  any  arguments;   in  this case the
          specifier simply provides  extra  documentation,  which
          will  be  included  when  some other TK_ARGV_HELP entry
          causes help information to be returned.

     TK_ARGV_REST
          This option is used by programs or commands that  allow
          the last several of their options to be the name and/or
          options for some  other  program.   If  a  TK_ARGV_REST
          argument  is  found, then Tk_ParseArgv does not process
          any of the remaining arguments;  it returns them all at
          the beginning of argv (along with any other unprocessed

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

          arguments).  In addition, Tk_ParseArgv  treats  dst  as
          the address of an integer value, and stores at *dst the
          index of the first of the TK_ARGV_REST options  in  the
          returned  argv.  This allows the program to distinguish
          the TK_ARGV_REST options from other unprocessed options
          that preceded the TK_ARGV_REST.

     TK_ARGV_FUNC
          For this kind  of  argument,  src  is  treated  as  the
          address of a procedure, which is invoked to process the
          following argument.  The procedure should have the fol-
          lowing structure:
               int
               func(dst, key, nextArg)
                   char *dst;
                   char *key;
                   char *nextArg;
               {
               }
          The dst and key parameters will contain the correspond-
          ing  fields  from  the argTable entry, and nextArg will
          point to the following argument from argv (or  NULL  if
          there  are  not  any  more arguments left in argv).  If
          func uses nextArg (so that Tk_ParseArgv should  discard
          it),  then  it  should  return  1.  Otherwise it should
          return 0 and TkParseArgv  will  process  the  following
          argument  in  the  normal fashion.  In either event the
          matching argument is discarded.

     TK_ARGV_GENFUNC
          This form provides a more  general  procedural  escape.
          It treats src as the address of a procedure, and passes
          that procedure all of  the  remaining  arguments.   The
          procedure should have the following form:
               int
               genfunc(dst, interp, key, argc, argv)
                   char *dst;
                   Tcl_Interp *interp;
                   char *key;
                   int argc;
                   char **argv;
               {
               }
          The dst and key parameters will contain the correspond-
          ing fields from the argTable entry.  Interp will be the
          same as the interp argument to Tcl_ParseArgv.  Argc and
          argv  refer  to  all  of the options after the matching
          one.  Genfunc should behave in  a  fashion  similar  to
          Tk_ParseArgv:  parse as many of the remaining arguments
          as it can, then return any that are left by  compacting
          them  to  the  beginning of argv (starting at argv[0]).
          Genfunc should return a count of how many arguments are

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

          left  in argv; Tk_ParseArgv will process them.  If gen-
          func encounters an error then it should leave an  error
          message  in  interp->result,  in the usual Tcl fashion,
          and return -1;  when  this  happens  Tk_ParseArgv  will
          abort its processing and return TCL_ERROR.


FLAGS

     TK_ARGV_DONT_SKIP_FIRST_ARG
          Tk_ParseArgv normally treats argv[0] as  a  program  or
          command  name,  and returns it to the caller just as if
          it had not matched argTable.  If this  flag  is  given,
          then argv[0] is not given special treatment.

     TK_ARGV_NO_ABBREV
          Normally, Tk_ParseArgv accepts unique abbreviations for
          key  values  in  argTable.   If this flag is given then
          only exact matches will be acceptable.

     TK_ARGV_NO_LEFTOVERS
          Normally, Tk_ParseArgv returns  unrecognized  arguments
          to  the  caller.   If  this  bit  is  set in flags then
          Tk_ParseArgv will return an error if it encounters  any
          argument that does not match argTable.  The only excep-
          tion to this rule is argv[0], which will be returned to
          the    caller    with    no    errors    as   long   as
          TK_ARGV_DONT_SKIP_FIRST_ARG is not specified.

     TK_ARGV_NO_DEFAULTS
          Normally, Tk_ParseArgv searches an  internal  table  of
          standard  argument  specifiers in addition to argTable.
          If this bit is set in flags, then Tk_ParseArgv will use
          only argTable and not its default table.


EXAMPLE

     Here is an example definition of an argTable and some sample
     command lines that use the options.  Note the effect on argc
     and argv;  arguments processed  by  Tk_ParseArgv  are  elim-
     inated  from  argv,  and  argc is updated to reflect reduced
     number of arguments.
          /*
           * Define and set default values for globals.
           */
          int debugFlag = 0;
          int numReps = 100;
          char defaultFileName[] = "out";
          char *fileName = defaultFileName;
          Boolean exec = FALSE;

          /*
           * Define option descriptions.
           */
          Tk_ArgvInfo argTable[] = {

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Tk_ParseArgv(3)       Tk Library Procedures       Tk_ParseArgv(3)

              {"-X", TK_ARGV_CONSTANT, (char *) 1, (char *) &debugFlag,
                  "Turn on debugging printfs"},
              {"-N", TK_ARGV_INT, (char *) NULL, (char *) &numReps,
                  "Number of repetitions"},
              {"-of", TK_ARGV_STRING, (char *) NULL, (char *) &fileName,
                  "Name of file for output"},
              {"x", TK_ARGV_REST, (char *) NULL, (char *) &exec,
                  "File to exec, followed by any arguments (must be last argument)."},
              {(char *) NULL, TK_ARGV_END, (char *) NULL, (char *) NULL,
                  (char *) NULL}
          };

          main(argc, argv)
              int argc;
              char *argv[];
          {
              ...

              if (Tk_ParseArgv(interp, tkwin, &argc, argv, argTable, 0) != TCL_OK) {
                  fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", interp->result);
                  exit(1);
              }

              /*
               * Remainder of the program.
               */
          }

     Note that default values can be assigned to variables  named
     in  argTable:  the variables will only be overwritten if the
     particular arguments are present in  argv.   Here  are  some
     example command lines and their effects.
          prog -N 200 infile        # just sets the numReps variable to 200
          prog -of out200 infile    # sets fileName to reference "out200"
          prog -XN 10 infile        # sets the debug flag, also sets numReps
     In  all  of  the  above  examples,  argc  will  be  set   by
     Tk_ParseArgv  to  2, argv[0] will be "prog", argv[1] will be
     "infile", and argv[2] will be NULL.


KEYWORDS

     arguments, command line, options

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