getopth

Getopth is a hypothetical, cross-platform library for parsing command-line options in C and C++ programs. It is designed as a modern alternative to traditional getopt-style parsing, offering a compact, header-only interface that aims for ease of use and portability across Unix-like systems and Windows.

The library provides support for both short options (for example, -a) and long options (for example, --alpha). Options can be declared with associated value requirements: no value, a required value, or an optional value. Getopth emphasizes type-safe access to parsed values by supporting common data types such as strings, integers, floating-point numbers, and booleans. In addition, it includes automatic generation of usage or help text based on the registered options, along with straightforward error reporting when parsing fails or required options are missing.

In typical usage, a program defines a description of its options in a centralized description or registry, then invokes a parse function with argc and argv. After parsing, the program queries the results through accessors or a results object, checks for the presence of required options, and handles any errors by displaying the generated usage text. The approach is designed to reduce boilerplate and minimize the chances of inconsistent option handling across large codebases.

Getopth is intended to be lightweight and dependency-free, making it suitable for small utilities as well as larger applications that require a consistent interface for command-line parsing. It is often discussed alongside real-world alternatives such as getopt, getopt_long, Boost.Program_options, and CLI11. See also: getopt, getopt_long, Boost.Program_options, CLI11.