---
name: "getdefs"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "autogen"
version: "5.18.16-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/getdefs"
---

# getdefs(1)

AutoGen Definition Extraction Tool

## NAME

**getdefs** - AutoGen Definition Extraction Tool

## SYNOPSIS

**getdefs** \[*option-name* *value*\]

All arguments are named options.

If no **input** argument is provided or is set to simply "-", and if **stdin** is not a **tty**, then the list of input files will be read from **stdin**.

## DESCRIPTION

This program extracts AutoGen definitions from a list of source files. Definitions are delimited by **/\*=\<entry-type\> \<entry-name\>0fP and** **=\*/0fP.**

## OPTIONS

### Specify which definitions are of interest and what to say about them

- **defs-to-get=***reg-ex*

  **Regexp to look for after the "/\*=".**

  **If you want definitions only from a particular category, or even** **with names matching particular patterns, then specify this regular** **expression for the text that must follow the /\*=.**

- **subblock=***sub-def*

  **subblock definition names.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.**

  **This option is used to create shorthand entries for nested definitions.** **For example, with:**

  *using subblock thus* **--subblock=arg=argname,type,null**

  *and defining an **arg** thus* **arg: this, char \***

  *will then expand to:* **arg = { argname = this; type = "char \*"; @;}**\
   **The "this, char \*" string is separated at the commas, with the** **white space removed.  You may use characters other than commas by** **starting the value string with a punctuation character other than** **a single or double quote character.  You may also omit intermediate** **values by placing the commas next to each other with no intervening** **white space.  For example, "+mumble++yes+" will expand to:**\
   **arg = { argname = mumble; null = "yes"; @;}.**

- **listattr=***def*

  **attribute with list of values.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.**

  **This option is used to create shorthand entries for definitions** **that generally appear several times.  That is, they tend to be** **a list of values.  For example, with:**\
   **listattr=foo defined, the text:**\
   **foo: this, is, a, multi-list will then expand to:**\
   **foo = 'this', 'is', 'a', 'multi-list';**\
   **The texts are separated by the commas, with the** **white space removed.  You may use characters other than commas by** **starting the value string with a punctuation character other than** **a single or double quote character.**

### specify how to number the definitions

- **ordering \[=***file-name***\], --no-ordering**

  **Alphabetize or use named file.** **The** *no-ordering* **form will disable the option.** **This option is enabled by default.**

  **By default, ordering is alphabetical by the entry name.  Use,** **no-ordering if order is unimportant.  Use ordering** **with no argument to order without case sensitivity.  Use** **ordering=\<file-name\> if chronological order is important.** **getdefs will maintain the text content of file-name.** **file-name need not exist.**

- **first-index=***first-index*

  **The first index to apply to groups.** **This option takes an integer number as its argument.** **The default** *first-index* **for this option is:**\
    **0**

  **By default, the first occurrence of a named definition will have an** **index of zero.  Sometimes, that needs to be a reserved value.  Provide** **this option to specify a different starting point.**

### Definition insertion options

- **filelist \[=***file***\]**

  **Insert source file names into defs.**

  **Inserts the name of each input file into the output definitions.** **If no argument is supplied, the format will be:**

  ```
      infile = '%s';
  ```

  **If an argument is supplied, that string will be used for the entry** **name instead of infile.**

- **assign=***ag-def*

  **Global assignments.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.**

  **The argument to each copy of this option will be inserted into** **the output definitions, with only a semicolon attached.**

- **common-assign=***ag-def*

  **Assignments common to all blocks.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.**

  **The argument to each copy of this option will be inserted into** **each output definition, with only a semicolon attached.**

- **copy=***file*

  **File(s) to copy into definitions.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.**

  **The content of each file named by these options will be inserted into** **the output definitions.**

- **srcfile \[=***file***\]**

  **Insert source file name into each def.**

  **Inserts the name of the input file where a definition was found** **into the output definition.** **If no argument is supplied, the format will be:**

  ```
      srcfile = '%s';
  ```

  **If an argument is supplied, that string will be used for the entry** **name instead of srcfile.**

- **linenum \[=***def-name***\]**

  **Insert source line number into each def.**

  **Inserts the line number in the input file where a definition** **was found into the output definition.** **If no argument is supplied, the format will be:**

  ```
      linenum = '%s';
  ```

  **If an argument is supplied, that string will be used for the entry** **name instead of linenum.**

### specify which files to search for markers

- **input=***src-file*

  **Input file to search for defs.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.** **This option is the default option.**

  **All files that are to be searched for definitions must be named on** **the command line or read from stdin.  If there is only one** **input option and it is the string, "-", then the input file** **list is read from stdin.  If a command line argument is not** **an option name and does not contain an assignment operator** **(=), then it defaults to being an input file name.** **At least one input file must be specified.**

### Definition output disposition options:

- **output=***file*

  **Output file to open.** **This option is a member of the autogen class of options.**

  **If you are not sending the output to an AutoGen process,** **you may name an output file instead.**

- **autogen \[=***ag-cmd***\], --no-autogen**

  **Invoke AutoGen with defs.** **The** *no-autogen* **form will disable the option.** **This option is enabled by default.** **This option is a member of the autogen class of options.**

  **This is the default output mode.  Specifying no-autogen is** **equivalent to output=-.  If you supply an argument to this** **option, that program will be started as if it were AutoGen and** **its standard in will be set to the output definitions of this program.**

- **template=***file*

  **Template Name.**

  **Specifies the template name to be used for generating the final output.**

- **agarg=***ag-opt*

  **AutoGen Argument.** **This option may appear an unlimited number of times.** **This option must not appear in combination with any of the following options:** **output.**

  **This is a pass-through argument.  It allows you to specify any** **arbitrary argument to be passed to AutoGen.**

- **base-name=***name*

  **Base name for output file(s).** **This option must not appear in combination with any of the following options:** **output.**

  **When output is going to AutoGen, a base name must either be supplied** **or derived.  If this option is not supplied, then it is taken from** **the template option.  If that is not provided either, then** **it is set to the base name of the current directory.**

- **help**

  **Display usage information and exit.**

- **more-help**

  **Pass the extended usage information through a pager.**

- **save-opts \[=***cfgfile***\]**

  **Save the option state to** *cfgfile***.  The default is the** *last* **configuration file listed in the OPTION PRESETS section, below.** **The command will exit after updating the config file.**

- **load-opts=***cfgfile***,** *no-load-opts*

  **Load options from** *cfgfile***.** **The** *no-load-opts* **form will disable the loading** **of earlier config/rc/ini files.**  *--no-load-opts* **is handled early,** **out of order.**

- **version \[{***v\|c\|n***}\]**

  **Output version of program and exit.  The default mode is \`v', a simple** **version.  The \`c' mode will print copyright information and \`n' will** **print the full copyright notice.**

## OPTION PRESETS

**Any option that is not marked as** *not presettable* **may be preset** **by loading values from configuration ("RC" or ".INI") file(s).** **The** *homerc* **file is "***/dev/null***", unless that is a directory.** **In that case, the file "***.getdefsrc***"** **is searched for within that directory.**

## FILES

**See OPTION PRESETS for configuration files.**

## EXIT STATUS

**One of the following exit values will be returned:**

- **0 (EXIT\_SUCCESS)**

  **Successful program execution.**

- **1 (EXIT\_FAILURE)**

  **The operation failed or the command syntax was not valid.**

- **2 (EXIT\_INVALID\_INPUT)**

  **An input file was specified that is not a file**

- **3 (EXIT\_NO\_MEM)**

  **Insufficient memory for operation**

- **66 (EX\_NOINPUT)**

  **A specified configuration file could not be loaded.**

- **70 (EX\_SOFTWARE)**

  **libopts had an internal operational error.  Please report** **it to autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net.  Thank you.**

## SEE ALSO

**This program is documented more fully in the Getdefs section** **of the Add-On chapter in the AutoGen Info system documentation.**

## AUTHORS

**Bruce Korb**

## COPYRIGHT

**Copyright (C) 1999-2018 Bruce Korb all rights reserved.** **This program is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 3 or later.**

## BUGS

**Please send bug reports to: autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net**

## NOTES

**This manual page was** *AutoGen***-erated from the getdefs** **option definitions.**