Getopt modules, such as Getopt::Long, are used for processing command line options. There are over sixty Getopt modules on CPAN, which can be intimidating to select from. This talk highlights some of the Getopt pearls that have been released in the past few years. Presented at YAPC::NA 2011, June 28, Asheville, NC.

1. Modern Getopt for
Command Line Processing
Nick Patch
YAPC::NA
28 June 2011

2. "Getting command line options and
dealing with them is a colossal pain,
and every module that does it sucks
and offends someone."
— Ricardo Signes (rjbs)

3. Getopt::Abridged Getopt::ArgvFile Getopt::AsDocumented
Getopt::Attribute Getopt::AutoConf Getopt::Awesome Getopt::Base
Getopt::CallingName Getopt::Casual Getopt::Chain Getopt::Clade
Getopt::Compact Getopt::Compact::WithCmd Getopt::Complete
Getopt::constant Getopt::Declare Getopt::Easy Getopt::Euclid
Getopt::EvaP Getopt::ExPar Getopt::Fancy Getopt::FileConfig
Getopt::Flex Getopt::Function Getopt::GetArgs Getopt::GUI::Long
Getopt::Helpful Getopt::Inherited Getopt::Janus Getopt::Lazy
Getopt::LL Getopt::Long Getopt::Long::Descriptive
Getopt::Long::DescriptivePod Getopt::Long::GUI Getopt::LongUsage
Getopt::Lucid Getopt::Mixed Getopt::Mixed::Help Getopt::Modular
Getopt::OO Getopt::Param Getopt::Param::Tiny Getopt::Plus
Getopt::Regex Getopt::Simple Getopt::Std::Strict
Getopt::Std::WithCheck Getopt::Tabular Getopt::Tiny Getopt::Tree
Getopt::Usaginator Getopt::Whatever Getopt::WonderBra Getopt::XML
Getopt::Yagow Getopt_Auto CBSSports::Getopt CGI::Getopt
MooseX::Getopt MooseX::Getopt::Defanged MouseX::Getopt Tk::Getopt

4. that's 63 Getopt modules

5. Getopt::Easy or Getopt::Simple ?

6. Getopt::Tiny or Getopt::Compact ?

7. maybe Getopt::Awesome ?

8. Getopt::WonderBra ?!

9. Getopt::WonderBra ?!
"Lift and Separate Command Line Options"

10. dependents
454 Getopt::Long
64 MooseX::Getopt
28 Getopt::Long::Descriptive
18 Getopt::ArgvFile
11 Getopt::Std::Strict
10 Getopt::Lucid
7 Getopt::Euclid
5 Getopt::Attribute
5 Getopt::Mixed
5 Getopt::Usaginator

11. minus same authors
446 Getopt::Long
62 MooseX::Getopt
19 Getopt::Long::Descriptive
17 Getopt::ArgvFile
7 Getopt::Euclid
7 Getopt::Lucid
5 Getopt::Mixed

12. plus first release date
446 Getopt::Long 1995
62 MooseX::Getopt 2007
19 Getopt::Long::Descriptive 2005
17 Getopt::ArgvFile 1999
7 Getopt::Euclid 2005
7 Getopt::Lucid 2005
5 Getopt::Mixed 1996

13. Getopt::Lucid

14. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json

15. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('in'),
Param('out'),
});

16. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('in')->required,
Param('out')->required,
});

17. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('in')->required,
Param('out')->required,
});
open my $in_fh, '<', $opt->get_in;
open my $out_fh, '>', $opt->get_out;

18. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c

19. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Switch('calibrate|c'),
});

20. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Switch('calibrate|c'),
});
print "Calibrating the frobnicator!n"
if $opt->get_calibrate;

21. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
use 5.010;
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Switch('calibrate|c'),
});
say 'Calibrating the frobnicator!'
if $opt->get_calibrate;

22. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
use 5.010;
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Switch('calibrate|c'),
});
say 'Calibrating the frobnicator!'
if $opt->get_calibrate;
$opt->set_calibrate(0);

23. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2

24. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('size|s'),
Param('ttl|t'),
Switch('verbose|v'),
});

25. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('size|s')->default(64),
Param('ttl|t')->default(50),
Switch('verbose|v'),
});

26. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
my $opt = Getopt::Lucid->getopt({
Param('size|s')->default(64),
Param('ttl|t')->default(50),
Switch('verbose|v'),
});
my $destination = shift @ARGV;

27. MooseX::Getopt

28. MooseX::Getopt
or
MouseX::Getopt

29. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json

30. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
package File::Munge;
use Moose;
with 'MooseX::Getopt';

31. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
package File::Munge;
use Moose;
with 'MooseX::Getopt';
has in => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');
has out => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');

32. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
package File::Munge;
use Moose;
with 'MooseX::Getopt';
has in => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str', required => 1);
has out => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str', required => 1);

33. $ munge --in refuse.log --out allure.json
package File::Munge;
use Moose;
with 'MooseX::Getopt';
has in => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str', required => 1);
has out => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str', required => 1);
sub munge {
my $self = shift;
open my $in_fh, '<', $self->in;
open my $out_fh, '>', $self->out;
}

34. #!/usr/bin/perl
use File::Munge;
my $munger = File::Munge->new_with_options;
$munger->munge;

35. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c

36. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
has calibrate => (
is => 'rw',
isa => 'Bool',
traits => ['Getopt'],
cmd_aliases => 'c',
);

37. $ frobnicate --calibrate
$ frobnicate -c
has calibrate => (
is => 'rw',
isa => 'Bool',
traits => ['Getopt'],
cmd_aliases => 'c',
);
sub frob {
my $self = shift;
say 'Calibrating the frobnicator!'
if $self->calibrate;
$self->calibrate(0);
}

38. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2

39. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
has size => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int');
has ttl => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int');
has verbose => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Bool');

40. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
has size => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 64);
has ttl => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 50);
has verbose => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Bool');

41. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
has size => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 64);
has ttl => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 50);
has verbose => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Bool');
has _destination => (
is => 'rw',
isa => 'Str',
default => sub {
my $self = shift;
return shift @{ $self->extra_argv };
}
);

42. $ perlping -v -s 512 4.2.2.2
use 5.014;
has size => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 64);
has ttl => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Int', default => 50);
has verbose => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Bool');
has _destination => (
is => 'rw',
isa => 'Str',
default => sub {
my $self = shift;
return shift $self->extra_argv;
}
);

43. my suggestions

44. my suggestions
Getopt::Lucid or
Getopt::Long::Descriptive
for one-off scripts

45. my suggestions
Getopt::Lucid or
Getopt::Long::Descriptive
for one-off scripts
MooseX::Getopt or MouseX::Getopt
for OO projects

46. my suggestions
Getopt::Lucid or
Getopt::Long::Descriptive
for one-off scripts
MooseX::Getopt or MouseX::Getopt
for OO projects
App::Cmd, MooseX::App::Cmd
or MouseX::App::Cmd
for command-driven scripts

47. questions?

48. slides at:
nickpatch.net