util::Option Class Reference
[Command Line and Config File Interfacing]

The base class for all options. More...

Inherited by util::BoolOption, util::DoubleArrayOption, util::DoubleOption, util::FloatArrayOption, util::FloatOption, util::IntArrayOption, util::IntOption, util::RegionArrayOption, util::StringArrayOption, and util::StringOption.

List of all members.

Public Member Functions

• virtual void setValue (const string &s)=0 throw (UException)

  This function is the heart of the Option class: it parses the value of the option from the supplied string.
  

• virtual string getTypeName () const

  Return the type name of the option as a string.
  

• virtual bool needsValue () const
• const string & getName () const

  Return the (long) option name.
  

• char getCmdLineChar () const

  Return the short option char.
  

• const string & getDefault () const

  Return the string representation of the default value.
  

• const string & getUsage () const

  Return the help string.
  

• virtual string toString () const =0

  Return the option's value as a string.
  

• Option (const char *name, const char *defaultVal, const char *usage, const char cmd)
• Option (const string &name, const string &defaultVal, const string &usage, const char cmd)
• virtual ~Option () throw ()
• virtual int getInt () const
• virtual float getFloat () const
• virtual string getString () const
• virtual bool getBool () const

Protected Attributes

• string name_

  long option name (e.g. --long-option or long-option=value)
  

• string default_

  string representation of default value
  

• string usage_

  help string
  

• char cmdlinechar_

  short option char, for command line use
  

Related Functions

(Note that these are not member functions.)

• ostream & operator<< (ostream &os, Option &op)

---

Detailed Description

The base class for all options.

All data is stored as strings. Conversion (parsing) to the actual type happens in derived specializations.

Constructing an option requires 4 (+1) parameters:

• the option's name
• the default value as a string
• the help string to print for this option
• the character representing the option in the command line '-x' if this char is 0, the option will be a long option with it's name used as the option string for the command line '--name'
• The constructors of the heirs have a further parameter which is a pointer to the option's type. The option will also write its value to that location if the pointer is not NULL. Useful for easily setting global parameters, or filling a struct with parameter values without having to manually loop over and read all program option's values.

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Constructor & Destructor Documentation

util::Option::Option	(	const char *	name,
		const char *	defaultVal,
		const char *	usage,
		const char	cmd
	)

ctors and dtor The parameters are

• name The long option name, to be used with --option-name (command line), or option-name = (config file).
• defaultVal string representation of default value
• usage option description and help text
• the short option character, for use with -c on the command line. Supply ' ' if no short option name is needed.

util::Option::Option	(	const string &	name,
		const string &	defaultVal,
		const string &	usage,
		const char	cmd
	)

virtual util::Option::~Option

(

)

throw () [virtual]

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Member Function Documentation

virtual void util::Option::setValue

(

const string &

s

)

throw (UException) [pure virtual]

This function is the heart of the Option class: it parses the value of the option from the supplied string.

Implemented in util::IntOption, util::FloatOption, util::DoubleOption, util::BoolOption, util::StringOption, util::FloatArrayOption, util::DoubleArrayOption, util::IntArrayOption, util::StringArrayOption, and util::RegionArrayOption.

virtual int util::Option::getInt

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Acess the value of the option. Usually subclasses will not implement all of these, in fact, mostly just one of these.

Reimplemented in util::IntOption.

virtual float util::Option::getFloat

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Reimplemented in util::FloatOption.

virtual string util::Option::getString

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Reimplemented in util::StringOption.

virtual bool util::Option::getBool

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Reimplemented in util::BoolOption.

virtual string util::Option::getTypeName

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Return the type name of the option as a string.

Reimplemented in util::IntOption, util::FloatOption, util::DoubleOption, util::BoolOption, util::StringOption, util::FloatArrayOption, util::DoubleArrayOption, util::IntArrayOption, util::StringArrayOption, and util::RegionArrayOption.

virtual bool util::Option::needsValue

(

)

const [inline, virtual]

Return true if the option needs a value, false if it is a toggle-switch needing no value. On the command line, values are given as --long-option value, or -x value. In a config file, long-option = value. '#' can be used to delineate comments. See CommandLineReader and ConfigFileReader.

Reimplemented in util::BoolOption.

const string& util::Option::getName

(

)

const

Return the (long) option name.

char util::Option::getCmdLineChar

(

)

const

Return the short option char.

const string& util::Option::getDefault

(

)

const

Return the string representation of the default value.

const string& util::Option::getUsage

(

)

const

Return the help string.

virtual string util::Option::toString

(

)

const [pure virtual]

Return the option's value as a string.

Implemented in util::IntOption, util::FloatOption, util::DoubleOption, util::BoolOption, util::StringOption, util::FloatArrayOption, util::DoubleArrayOption, util::IntArrayOption, util::StringArrayOption, and util::RegionArrayOption.

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Member Data Documentation

string util::Option::name_ [protected]

long option name (e.g. --long-option or long-option=value)

string util::Option::default_ [protected]

string representation of default value

string util::Option::usage_ [protected]

help string

char util::Option::cmdlinechar_ [protected]

short option char, for command line use