Re: Combining two scripts with a command line switch?

Although you can read the options directly from the @ARGV array, if you expect any more of them, and you like GNU style options (--longoption == -l), you might want to use the standard Getopt::Long module. Example:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
use Getopt::Long;

my ($hello,$goodbye); # option switches
GetOptions (
    "hello"  => \$hello,
    "goodbye" => \$goodbye,
);

if ($hello) {
   print "Hello world\n";
}

if ($goodbye) {
    print "Goodbye!\n";
}
[download]

# use full options
> perl test.pl --hello --goodbye
Hello world
Goodbye!
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# use abbreviation 
> perl test.pl -h
Hello world
[download]

Getopt::Long can also handle a variety of different option types, with or without arguments etc. See the documentation.

"What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"

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Re^2: Combining two scripts with a command line switch? by Seventh (Beadle) on Dec 13, 2004 at 18:12 UTC
You guys are the best - that worked! Thanks! One more quick question, how do I set it so that an argument is required? Right now I have: `my ($read,$generate,$help); # option switches GetOptions ( "help" => \$help, "read" => \$read, "generate" => \$generate, );` [download] If I run the it with any switch, it works perfectly - run it with no arguments, it does nothing at all. :) I'd like to add one more switch for a blank variable, so I can toss in a string that says "type -help for usage'." Thanks very much as always!	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Combining two scripts with a command line switch? by Joost (Canon) on Dec 13, 2004 at 18:18 UTC
I usually start scripts that require arguments with `die "Usage message\n" unless @ARGV;` [download] Make sure you put that before the call to GetOptions (it modifies @ARGV) "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Combining two scripts with a command line switch? by rev_1318 (Chaplain) on Dec 14, 2004 at 11:13 UTC
how about: `my ($read,$generate,$help); # option switches GetOptions ( "help" => \$help, "read" => \$read, "generate" => \$generate, ); die "$Usage\n" unless $read \|\| $generate;` [download] Paul	[reply] [d/l]