Index for Section 1

Alphabetical listing for G

Bottom of page

getopt(1)
NAME
  getopt - Parses command line flags and arguments

SYNOPSIS
  getopt format tokens

DESCRIPTION
  The getopt command is used to parse a list of tokens using a format that
  specifies expected flags and arguments.  A flag is a single ASCII letter
  and, when followed by a : (colon), is expected to take a modifying argument
  that may or may not be separated from it by one or more tabs or spaces.
  (You can include multi-byte characters in arguments, but not as flag
  letters.)

  The getopt command completes processing when it has read all tokens or when
  it encounters the special token -- (double dash).  It then outputs the
  processed flags, a --, and any remaining tokens.

  If a token fails to match a flag, getopt writes a message to standard
  error.

NOTES
  In the csh, use the following command to run getopt:

       set argv=`getopt flag_string $*`

EXAMPLES
  The following is an example of the use of getopt in a skeleton shell script
  to parse options:

       #!/bin/sh
       # parse command line into arguments
       set -- `getopt a:bc $*`
       # check result of parsing
       if [ $? != 0 ]
       then
	       exit 1
       fi
       while [ $1 != -- ]
       do
	       case $1 in
	       -a)     # set up the -a flag
		       AFLG=1
		       AARG=$2
		       shift;;
	       -b)     # set up the -b flag
		       BFLG=1;;
	       -c)     # set up the -c flag
		       CFLG=1;;
	       esac
	       shift  # next flag
       done
       shift   # skip double dash
       # now do the work
       .
       .
       .

  The following are all equivalent arguments to the script:

       -a ARG -b -c -- A B C
       -a ARG -bc -- A B C
       -aARG -b -c -- A B C
       -b -c -a ARG -- A B C

SEE ALSO
  Commands:  sh(1)

  Functions:  getopt(3)

Index for Section 1

Alphabetical listing for G

Top of page