Popt

Popt is a term that can refer to several things, but in software development it most often denotes a portable option parsing library for C programs. The library is designed to simplify reading and validating command-line arguments by providing a context-based API that handles both short and long options and, in many cases, options with optional or required arguments.

Design goals emphasize portability across Unix-like platforms and straightforward usage. Popt lets a program declare the set of accepted options in a small description array and then parse the actual command line, returning matched options and their values. It can automatically generate usage and error messages, helping to keep programs consistent. The library is lightweight and intended as an alternative to more verbose or system-specific option parsers.

Implementation and distribution: Popt has been released as open source and has been adopted by various projects in the open-source ecosystem. It is typically built as a shared library or linked statically with the host program and integrated with the application's build system.

Beyond computing, the string Popt may appear as an acronym or name in other contexts, and its meaning can vary by domain. When encountering the term, context is important to determine whether it refers to software, culture, or another topic.