Groovy CliBuilder: only last LongOpt is taken in account - groovy

Question

I'm trying to use the groovy CliBuilder to parse command line options. I'm trying to use multiple long options without a short option.
I have the following processor:
def cli = new CliBuilder(usage: 'Generate.groovy [options]')
cli.with {
h longOpt: "help", "Usage information"
r longOpt: "root", args: 1, type: GString, "Root directory for code generation"
x args: 1, type: GString, "Type of processor (all, schema, beans, docs)"
_ longOpt: "dir-beans", args: 1, argName: "directory", type: GString, "Custom location for grails bean classes"
_ longOpt: "dir-orm", args: 1, argName: "directory", type: GString, "Custom location for grails domain classes"
}
options = cli.parse(args)
println "BEANS=${options.'dir-beans'}"
println "ORM=${options.'dir-orm'}"
if (options.h || options == null) {
cli.usage()
System.exit(0)
}
According to the groovy documentation I should be able to use multiple "_" values for an option when I want it to ignore the short option name and use a long option name only. According to the groovy documentation:
Another example showing long options (partial emulation of arg
processing for 'curl' command line):
def cli = new CliBuilder(usage:'curl [options] <url>')
cli._(longOpt:'basic', 'Use HTTP Basic Authentication')
cli.d(longOpt:'data', args:1, argName:'data', 'HTTP POST data')
cli.G(longOpt:'get', 'Send the -d data with a HTTP GET')
cli.q('If used as the first parameter disables .curlrc')
cli._(longOpt:'url', args:1, argName:'URL', 'Set URL to work with')
Which has the following usage message:
usage: curl [options] <url>
--basic Use HTTP Basic Authentication
-d,--data <data> HTTP POST data
-G,--get Send the -d data with a HTTP GET
-q If used as the first parameter disables .curlrc
--url <URL> Set URL to work with
This example shows a common convention. When mixing short and long
names, the short names are often one
character in size. One character
options with arguments don't require a
space between the option and the
argument, e.g. -Ddebug=true. The
example also shows the use of '_' when
no short option is applicable.
Also note that '_' was used multiple times. This is supported but
if any other shortOpt or any longOpt is repeated, then the behavior is undefined.
http://groovy.codehaus.org/gapi/groovy/util/CliBuilder.html
When I use the "_" it only accepts the last one in the list (last one encountered). Am I doing something wrong or is there a way around this issue?
Thanks.

Answer 1

not sure what you mean it only accepts the last one. but this should work...
def cli = new CliBuilder().with {
x 'something', args:1
_ 'something', args:1, longOpt:'dir-beans'
_ 'something', args:1, longOpt:'dir-orm'
parse "-x param --dir-beans beans --dir-orm orm".split(' ')
}
assert cli.x == 'param'
assert cli.'dir-beans' == 'beans'
assert cli.'dir-orm' == 'orm'

Answer 2

I learned that my original code works correctly. What is not working is the function that takes all of the options built in the with enclosure and prints a detailed usage. The function call built into CliBuilder that prints the usage is:
cli.usage()
The original code above prints the following usage line:
usage: Generate.groovy [options]
--dir-orm <directory> Custom location for grails domain classes
-h,--help Usage information
-r,--root Root directory for code generation
-x Type of processor (all, schema, beans, docs)
This usage line makes it look like I'm missing options. I made the mistake of not printing each individual item separate from this usage function call. That's what made this look like it only cared about the last _ item in the with enclosure. I added this code to prove that it was passing values:
println "BEANS=${options.'dir-beans'}"
println "ORM=${options.'dir-orm'}"
I also discovered that you must use = between a long option and it's value or it will not parse the command line options correctly (--long-option=some_value)