LV-ArgParse

A parser for command line arguments of compiled LabVIEW applications. Based on syntax and usage of the python argparse package.

Supports generated help messages and version info

>start /b /wait Application.exe -h

Argparse Test
usage: Application [-cfg [Path]] [-h] [-m [String]] [-n] [-v] [message]

This application demonstrates the abilities of LV ArgParse

positional arguments:
 message             Message to show

options:
 -cfg, --config      Config Path (default: .\config.ini)
 -h, --help          Display this help message
 -m, --mode          Mode to use. Choices: dummy,mockup (default: dummy)
 -n, --number        Version Numbers
 -v, --version       Show Version

Supports optional, required and positional parameters.
Supports --option value, --option=value and --option="long value" notation
Supports handling of basic data types: string, path, int64, uint64, double, date

Usage

Parsing

Just call the setup method with the definitions of the arguments you would like to provide.

Parameters:

name: The id of the argument. Used for the help message and for identification when reading values. If no short or long id is given, the argument is positional.
short: The argument for -arg notation. Optional
long: The argument for --argument notation. Optional
action: What to do with values.
- store: One single value, if provided.
- store-const: Store the configured value, if the switch is provided
- store-true: Store a true, if the switch is provided
- store-false: Store a false, if the switch is provided
- append: Add multiple values for one parameter to an array
- append-const: Add the configured value to an array for every time a switch was provided
- count: Count the number of times, an argument was provided
- help: The help tag. Defaults to -h and --help
- version: The version tag. Defaults to -v and --version
choices: A set of allowed values. If given, wrong parameters raise an error.
const: The constant value for the const actions.
default: A default value. If provided, the parser holds this value even if the parameter was not provided.
dest: A alternative name to access the data.
help: The description of the argument to show in the help text.
number: The number of times, an argument can be given.
- 0, One or None: The argument may either be provided one time or omitted.
- -1, Any: The argument may be provided any number of times or omitted.
- -2, At least one: The argument must be provided one time or any number of times.
required: If true, an error is raised if the argument is not provided.
type: The type of the value.

Access

Arguments are read using their name (or dest). The parsed state is stored in an action-engine and is globally available.

Methods exists for variant and typed data.

Compilation

To make the arguments available to the compiled application, the option "pass all command line arguments to application" has to be activated under "advanced" for the target.

Calling

The exe can be called in the known way:

Application.exe -arg --long-arg --long-arg="bla" pos-arg1

Due to the way the runtime-engine starts, the console is not blocked during the run. A workaround is to use the windows start command: