getopt_review.md

Comaprison of getopt()/getopt_long() replacement libraries

At the moment we are concentrating in C++

• URL - where is this on github
• Lang - what language is it written in
• License - GPL/Apache/MIT/BSD/etc. '?' - No license given

• of commits - How many commits to date

• Last commit - Date of the last commit
• single letter - does it support single letter args like getopt()
  • Bundle - the library supports bundling several single letter flags into a single leading '-'
• multi letter - does it support getopt_long() style args
  • multi - may define more than one name for the same parameter
• data types - does the library parse for you the argument, e.g. int/string, or is everything considered strings
  • custom - it is possible to define your own classes that handle your own data type, including error checking for legal values
  • generic - use any data type you want; parameter definition is implemented via templates
• extra args - does it allow extra arguments that are not part of the getopt parameters
• config method - how the parameter definition API looks like
  • getopt / getopt_long() style
  • varargs containing all the getopt definitions
  • method - a method call for each getopt flag
  • 1method - one call with a single array of all options
  • parse - no separate config; parameter is configured as part of the parsing method call
• parse method -
  • loop - loop over the arguments like getopt()
  • ptrs - library setup includes pointers/referencesto the variable to be filled for each argument
  • callbacks - library setup includes a callback function for each argument
  • hash - a method call looks up the flag name
  • stream - parse using stream operators on a new command-line-arg stream
• built-in help - does the library knows how to automatically display a help/usage message? usually requires supplying a description for each option
• examples - does the library provides a usage example?
• Unit Tests - Does the library comes with a set of unit tests for all features?

URL	Lang	License	# of commits	Last commit	single letter	multi letter	data types	extra args	config method	parse method	built-in help	examples	Unit Tests
wesleygriffin/getoptxx	C++14	?	2	9-Dec-2015	✓	✓	string	✓	varargs	hash	✗	✓	✗
ryngonzalez/OptionHandler	C++	MIT	37	4-May-2013	✓	✓	string vector<string>	✗	method	hash	✗	✓	✗
xkbeyer/GetOpt	C++	MIT	19	22-Mar-2016	✓	✗	string	✓	getopt	loop	✗	✓	✓
ErichDonGubler/getopt	C++11	Boost	19	3-Nov-2015	✓ bundle	✓ multi	string	✓	varargs	ptrs	✓	✓	✓
r-lyeh/getopt	C++11	zlib libpng	1	19-Apr-2016	✓	✓ multi	string	✗	parse	method	✗	✓	✗
vlofgren/getoptPlusPlus	C++	GPL3	11	28-Aug-2011	✓	✓	custom	✓	method	hash	✓	✓	✗
songgao/flags.hh	C++	BSD 3-Clause	7	29-Mar-2016	✓	✓	generic	✗	method	ptrs	✓	✓	✗
seraasch/getoptpp	C++	Boost	70	15-Sep-2015	✓	✓	generic	✓	parse	stream	✗	✓	✓
iorate/getoptmm	C++14	MIT	8	8-Nov-2015	✓	✓	generic?	✓	1method	ptrs callbacks	✓	✓	✗
k2ymg/dec_getopt	C++	?	1	10-Feb-2015	✓	✓	bool int double string	✓	varargs	ptrs callbacks	✗	✓	✗