---
name: "argbash"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "argbash"
version: "2.11.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/argbash"
---

# argbash(1)

Argbash is an argument parser generator for Bash.

## Name

argbash - Argbash is an argument parser generator for Bash.

## SYNOPSIS

**argbash  \[--output OUTPUT\] \[--in-place\] \[--type type\] \[--library\] \[--strip content\] \[--check-typos\] \[--commented\] \[--search SEARCH\]... \[--debug DEBUG\] \[--help\] \[--version\] \<input\>**

## DESCRIPTION

Argbash is a code generator that typically generates a bash argument-parsing library tailor-made for your script. It lets you to describe arguments your script should take and then, you can generate the **bash** parsing code. It stays in your script by default, but you can have it generated to a separate file and let **bash** to include it in your script for you. **Argbash** is very simple to use and the generated code is relatively nice to read. Moreover, argument definitions stay embedded in the script, so when you need to update the parsing logic, you just re-run the **argbash** script on the already generated script.

## ARGUMENTS

- **-o** *OUTPUT,* **--output** *OUTPUT*

  Name of the output file (pass '-' for stdout). \[Default: -\]

- **-i, --in-place**

  Update a bash script in-place. \[Default: off\]

- **-t bash-script\|posix-script\|manpage\|manpage-defs\|completion\|docopt\|excised, --type bash-script\|posix-script\|manpage\|manpage-defs\|completion\|docopt\|excised Output type to generate.**

  \[Default: bash-script\]

  Check out the documentation to learn about all argbash capabilities that are supported.

- **--library**

  Whether the input file if the pure parsing library. \[Default: off\]

  This option is deprecated and it is the same as **--strip user-content**.

- **--strip none\|user-content\|all Determines what to have in the output.**

  \[Default: none\]

  You can either strip **none**, which is useful for scripts. If you strip **user-content**, you keep the Argbash header. If you strip **all**, you will have only the generated content in the result.

- **--check-typos**

  Whether to check for possible argbash macro typos. \[Default: on\]

- **-c, --commented**

  Commented mode - include explanatory comments with the parsing code. \[Default: off\]

- **-I** *SEARCH,* **--search** *SEARCH*

  Directories to search for the wrapped scripts (directory of the template will be added to the end of the list). \[Default: "."\]

- **--debug** *DEBUG*

  (developer option) Tell autom4te to trace a macro.

- **-h, --help**

  Prints help.

- **-v, --version**

  Prints version.

## Author

Matěj Týč