How do you specify a required switch (not argument) with Ruby OptionParser? - ruby

Question

I'm writing a script and I want to require a --host switch with value, but if the --host switch isn't specified, I want the option parsing to fail.
I can't seem to figure out how to do that. The docs seem to only specify how to make the argument value mandatory, not the switch itself.

Answer 1

An approach using optparse that provides friendly output on missing switches:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'optparse'
options = {}
optparse = OptionParser.new do |opts|
opts.on('-f', '--from SENDER', 'username of sender') do |sender|
options[:from] = sender
end
opts.on('-t', '--to RECIPIENTS', 'comma separated list of recipients') do |recipients|
options[:to] = recipients
end
options[:number_of_files] = 1
opts.on('-n', '--num_files NUMBER', Integer, "number of files to send (default #{options[:number_of_files]})") do |number_of_files|
options[:number_of_files] = number_of_files
end
opts.on('-h', '--help', 'Display this screen') do
puts opts
exit
end
end
begin
optparse.parse!
mandatory = [:from, :to] # Enforce the presence of
missing = mandatory.select{ |param| options[param].nil? } # the -t and -f switches
unless missing.empty? #
raise OptionParser::MissingArgument.new(missing.join(', ')) #
end #
rescue OptionParser::InvalidOption, OptionParser::MissingArgument #
puts $!.to_s # Friendly output when parsing fails
puts optparse #
exit #
end #
puts "Performing task with options: #{options.inspect}"
Running without the -t or -f switches shows the following output:
Missing options: from, to
Usage: test_script [options]
-f, --from SENDER username of sender
-t, --to RECIPIENTS comma separated list of recipients
-n, --num_files NUMBER number of files to send (default 1)
-h, --help
Running the parse method in a begin/rescue clause allows friendly formatting upon other failures such as missing arguments or invalid switch values, for instance, try passing a string for the -n switch.

Answer 2

I am assuming you are using optparse here, although the same technique will work for other option parsing libraries.
The simplest method is probably to parse the parameters using your chosen option parsing library and then raise an OptionParser::MissingArgument Exception if the value of host is nil.
The following code illustrates
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'optparse'
options = {}
optparse = OptionParser.new do |opts|
opts.on('-h', '--host HOSTNAME', "Mandatory Host Name") do |f|
options[:host] = f
end
end
optparse.parse!
#Now raise an exception if we have not found a host option
raise OptionParser::MissingArgument if options[:host].nil?
puts "Host = #{options[:host]}"
Running this example with a command line of
./program -h somehost
simple displays "Host = somehost"
Whilst running with a missing -h and no file name produces the following output
./program:15: missing argument: (OptionParser::MissingArgument)
And running with a command line of ./program -h produces
/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:451:in `parse': missing argument: -h (OptionParser::MissingArgument)
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1288:in `parse_in_order'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1247:in `catch'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1247:in `parse_in_order'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1241:in `order!'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1332:in `permute!'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/optparse.rb:1353:in `parse!'
from ./program:13

Answer 3

I turned this into a gem you can download and install from rubygems.org:
gem install pickled_optparse
And you can checkout the updated project source code on github:
http://github.com/PicklePumpers/pickled_optparse
-- Older post info --
This was really, really bugging me so I fixed it and kept the usage super DRY.
To make a switch required just add a :required symbol anywhere in the array of options like so:
opts.on("-f", "--foo [Bar]", String, :required, "Some required option") do |option|
#options[:foo] = option
end
Then at the end of your OptionParser block add one of these to print out the missing switches and the usage instructions:
if opts.missing_switches?
puts opts.missing_switches
puts opts
exit
end
And finally to make it all work you need to add the following "optparse_required_switches.rb" file to your project somewhere and require it when you do your command line parsing.
I wrote up a little article with an example on my blog:
http://picklepumpers.com/wordpress/?p=949
And here's the modified OptionParser file with an example of its usage:
required_switches_example.rb
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'optparse'
require_relative 'optparse_required_switches'
# Configure options based on command line options
#options = {}
OptionParser.new do |opts|
opts.banner = "Usage: test [options] in_file[.srt] out_file[.srt]"
# Note that :required can be anywhere in the parameters
# Also note that OptionParser is bugged and will only check
# for required parameters on the last option, not my bug.
# required switch, required parameter
opts.on("-s Short", String, :required, "a required switch with just a short") do |operation|
#options[:operation] = operation
end
# required switch, optional parameter
opts.on(:required, "--long [Long]", String, "a required switch with just a long") do |operation|
#options[:operation] = operation
end
# required switch, required parameter
opts.on("-b", "--both ShortAndLong", String, "a required switch with short and long", :required) do |operation|
#options[:operation] = operation
end
# optional switch, optional parameter
opts.on("-o", "--optional [Whatever]", String, "an optional switch with short and long") do |operation|
#options[:operation] = operation
end
# Now we can see if there are any missing required
# switches so we can alert the user to what they
# missed and how to use the program properly.
if opts.missing_switches?
puts opts.missing_switches
puts opts
exit
end
end.parse!
optparse_required_switches.rb
# Add required switches to OptionParser
class OptionParser
# An array of messages describing the missing required switches
attr_reader :missing_switches
# Convenience method to test if we're missing any required switches
def missing_switches?
!#missing_switches.nil?
end
def make_switch(opts, block = nil)
short, long, nolong, style, pattern, conv, not_pattern, not_conv, not_style = [], [], []
ldesc, sdesc, desc, arg = [], [], []
default_style = Switch::NoArgument
default_pattern = nil
klass = nil
n, q, a = nil
# Check for required switches
required = opts.delete(:required)
opts.each do |o|
# argument class
next if search(:atype, o) do |pat, c|
klass = notwice(o, klass, 'type')
if not_style and not_style != Switch::NoArgument
not_pattern, not_conv = pat, c
else
default_pattern, conv = pat, c
end
end
# directly specified pattern(any object possible to match)
if (!(String === o || Symbol === o)) and o.respond_to?(:match)
pattern = notwice(o, pattern, 'pattern')
if pattern.respond_to?(:convert)
conv = pattern.method(:convert).to_proc
else
conv = SPLAT_PROC
end
next
end
# anything others
case o
when Proc, Method
block = notwice(o, block, 'block')
when Array, Hash
case pattern
when CompletingHash
when nil
pattern = CompletingHash.new
conv = pattern.method(:convert).to_proc if pattern.respond_to?(:convert)
else
raise ArgumentError, "argument pattern given twice"
end
o.each {|pat, *v| pattern[pat] = v.fetch(0) {pat}}
when Module
raise ArgumentError, "unsupported argument type: #{o}", ParseError.filter_backtrace(caller(4))
when *ArgumentStyle.keys
style = notwice(ArgumentStyle[o], style, 'style')
when /^--no-([^\[\]=\s]*)(.+)?/
q, a = $1, $2
o = notwice(a ? Object : TrueClass, klass, 'type')
not_pattern, not_conv = search(:atype, o) unless not_style
not_style = (not_style || default_style).guess(arg = a) if a
default_style = Switch::NoArgument
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, FalseClass) unless default_pattern
ldesc << "--no-#{q}"
long << 'no-' + (q = q.downcase)
nolong << q
when /^--\[no-\]([^\[\]=\s]*)(.+)?/
q, a = $1, $2
o = notwice(a ? Object : TrueClass, klass, 'type')
if a
default_style = default_style.guess(arg = a)
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, o) unless default_pattern
end
ldesc << "--[no-]#{q}"
long << (o = q.downcase)
not_pattern, not_conv = search(:atype, FalseClass) unless not_style
not_style = Switch::NoArgument
nolong << 'no-' + o
when /^--([^\[\]=\s]*)(.+)?/
q, a = $1, $2
if a
o = notwice(NilClass, klass, 'type')
default_style = default_style.guess(arg = a)
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, o) unless default_pattern
end
ldesc << "--#{q}"
long << (o = q.downcase)
when /^-(\[\^?\]?(?:[^\\\]]|\\.)*\])(.+)?/
q, a = $1, $2
o = notwice(Object, klass, 'type')
if a
default_style = default_style.guess(arg = a)
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, o) unless default_pattern
end
sdesc << "-#{q}"
short << Regexp.new(q)
when /^-(.)(.+)?/
q, a = $1, $2
if a
o = notwice(NilClass, klass, 'type')
default_style = default_style.guess(arg = a)
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, o) unless default_pattern
end
sdesc << "-#{q}"
short << q
when /^=/
style = notwice(default_style.guess(arg = o), style, 'style')
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, Object) unless default_pattern
else
desc.push(o)
end
end
default_pattern, conv = search(:atype, default_style.pattern) unless default_pattern
if !(short.empty? and long.empty?)
s = (style || default_style).new(pattern || default_pattern, conv, sdesc, ldesc, arg, desc, block)
elsif !block
if style or pattern
raise ArgumentError, "no switch given", ParseError.filter_backtrace(caller)
end
s = desc
else
short << pattern
s = (style || default_style).new(pattern, conv, nil, nil, arg, desc, block)
end
# Make sure required switches are given
if required && !(default_argv.include?("-#{short[0]}") || default_argv.include?("--#{long[0]}"))
#missing_switches ||= [] # Should be placed in initialize if incorporated into Ruby proper
# This is more clear but ugly and long.
#missing = "-#{short[0]}" if !short.empty?
#missing = "#{missing} or " if !short.empty? && !long.empty?
#missing = "#{missing}--#{long[0]}" if !long.empty?
# This is less clear and uglier but shorter.
missing = "#{"-#{short[0]}" if !short.empty?}#{" or " if !short.empty? && !long.empty?}#{"--#{long[0]}" if !long.empty?}"
#missing_switches << "Missing switch: #{missing}"
end
return s, short, long,
(not_style.new(not_pattern, not_conv, sdesc, ldesc, nil, desc, block) if not_style),
nolong
end
end

Answer 4

I came up with a clear and concise solution that sums up your contributions. It raises an OptionParser::MissingArgument exception with the missing arguments as a message. This exception is catched in the rescue block along with the rest of exceptions coming from OptionParser.
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'optparse'
options = {}
optparse = OptionParser.new do |opts|
opts.on('-h', '--host hostname', "Host name") do |host|
options[:host] = host
end
end
begin
optparse.parse!
mandatory = [:host]
missing = mandatory.select{ |param| options[param].nil? }
raise OptionParser::MissingArgument, missing.join(', ') unless missing.empty?
rescue OptionParser::ParseError => e
puts e
puts optparse
exit
end
Running this example:
 ./program
missing argument: host
Usage: program [options]
-h, --host hostname Host name

Answer 5

If host is required, then surely it isn't an option, it's an argument.
With that in mind, here's a way to solve your problem. You can interrogate the ARGV array to see if a host has been specified, and, if it hasn't been, then call abort("You must specify a host!"), or similar, to make your program quit with an error status.

Answer 6

If you do something like this:
opts.on('-h', '--host',
'required host name [STRING]') do |h|
someoptions[:host] = h || nil
end
Then the someoptions[:host] will either be the value from the commandline or nil (if you don't supply --host and/or no value after --host) and you can test for it easily (and conditionally fail) after the parse:
fail "Hostname not provided" unless someoptions[:host]

Answer 7

The answer from unknown (google) is good, but contains a minor error.
rescue OptionParser::InvalidArgument, OptionParser::MissingArgument
should be
OptionParser::InvalidOption, OptionParser::MissingArgument
Otherwise, optparse.parse! will trigger the standard error output for OptionParser::InvalidOption, not the custom message.

Answer 8

The idea is to define an OptionParser, then parse! it, and puts it if some fields are missing. Setting filename to empty string by default is probably not the best way to go, but you got the idea.
require 'optparse'
filename = ''
options = OptionParser.new do |opts|
opts.banner = "Usage: swift-code-style.rb [options]"
opts.on("-iNAME", "--input-filename=NAME", "Input filename") do |name|
filename = name
end
opts.on("-h", "--help", "Prints this help") do
puts opts
exit
end
end
options.parse!
if filename == ''
puts "Missing filename.\n---\n"
puts options
exit
end
puts "Processing '#{filename}'..."
If -i filename is missing, it displays:
~/prj/gem/swift-code-kit ./swift-code-style.rb
Missing filename.
---
Usage: swift-code-style.rb [options]
-i, --input-filename=NAME Input filename
-h, --help Prints this help