README

PHP Command Line Arguments parsing utility class. Provides friendly and flexible CLI argument parsing.

Usage

$args = ParseArgs::parseArgs($_SERVER['argv']);

This command line option parser supports any combination of three types of options [single character options (-a -b or -ab or -c -d=dog or -cd dog), long options (--foo or --bar=baz or --bar baz) and arguments (arg1 arg2)] and returns a simple array.

[pfisher ~]$ php test.php --foo --bar=baz --spam eggs
  ["foo"]   => true
  ["bar"]   => "baz"
  ["spam"]  => "eggs"

[pfisher ~]$ php test.php -abc foo
  ["a"]     => true
  ["b"]     => true
  ["c"]     => "foo"

[pfisher ~]$ php test.php arg1 arg2 arg3
  [0]       => "arg1"
  [1]       => "arg2"
  [2]       => "arg3"

[pfisher ~]$ php test.php plain-arg --foo --bar=baz --funny="spam=eggs" --also-funny=spam=eggs \
> 'plain arg 2' -abc -k=value "plain arg 3" --s="original" --s='overwrite' --s
  [0]       => "plain-arg"
  ["foo"]   => true
  ["bar"]   => "baz"
  ["funny"] => "spam=eggs"
  ["also-funny"]=> "spam=eggs"
  [1]       => "plain arg 2"
  ["a"]     => true
  ["b"]     => true
  ["c"]     => true
  ["k"]     => "value"
  [2]       => "plain arg 3"
  ["s"]     => "overwrite"

Not supported: -cd=dog.

@author Patrick Fisher patrick@pwfisher.com

@since August 21, 2009

@see

• http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.commandline.php
• comment #81042 function arguments($argv) by technorati at gmail dot com, 12-Feb-2008
• comment #78651 function getArgs($args) by B Crawford, 22-Oct-2007

Note: parseArgs.php contains a "minified" version of the same code, for your copypasta pleasure. For little scripts for which you want to have a nice interface.