---
name: "zargs"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libczmq-dev"
version: "4.2.1-3+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/zargs"
---

# zargs(3)

Class for Platform independent command line argument parsing helpers

## NAME

zargs - Class for Platform independent command line argument parsing helpers

## SYNOPSIS

```
//  This is a draft class, and may change without notice. It is disabled in
//  stable builds by default. If you use this in applications, please ask
//  for it to be pushed to stable state. Use --enable-drafts to enable.
#ifdef CZMQ_BUILD_DRAFT_API
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Create a new zargs from command line arguments.
CZMQ_EXPORT zargs_t *
    zargs_new (int argc, char **argv);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Destroy zargs instance.
CZMQ_EXPORT void
    zargs_destroy (zargs_t **self_p);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return program name (argv[0])
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_progname (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return number of positional arguments
CZMQ_EXPORT size_t
    zargs_arguments (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return first positional argument or NULL
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_first (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return next positional argument or NULL
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_next (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return first named parameter value, or NULL if there are no named
//  parameters, or value for which zargs_param_empty (arg) returns true.
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_param_first (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return next named parameter value, or NULL if there are no named
//  parameters, or value for which zargs_param_empty (arg) returns true.
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_param_next (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return current parameter name, or NULL if there are no named parameters.
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_param_name (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return value of named parameter or NULL is it has no value (or was not specified)
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_get (zargs_t *self, const char *name);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Return value of one of parameter(s) or NULL is it has no value (or was not specified)
CZMQ_EXPORT const char *
    zargs_getx (zargs_t *self, const char *name, ...);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Returns true if named parameter was specified on command line
CZMQ_EXPORT bool
    zargs_has (zargs_t *self, const char *name);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Returns true if named parameter(s) was specified on command line
CZMQ_EXPORT bool
    zargs_hasx (zargs_t *self, const char *name, ...);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Print an instance of zargs.
CZMQ_EXPORT void
    zargs_print (zargs_t *self);
//  *** Draft method, for development use, may change without warning ***
//  Self test of this class.
CZMQ_EXPORT void
    zargs_test (bool verbose);
#endif // CZMQ_BUILD_DRAFT_API
Please add '@interface' section in './../src/zargs.c'.
```

## DESCRIPTION

zargs - Platform independent command line argument parsing helpers

Platform independent command line argument parsing helpers

There are two kind of elements provided by this class foo --named-parameter --parameter with\_value positional arguments -a gain-parameter zargs keeps poision only for arguments, parameters are to be accessed like hash.

It DOES: \* provide easy to use CLASS compatible API for accessing argv \* is platform independent \* provide getopt\_long style — argument, which delimits parameters from arguments \* makes parameters positon independent

It does NOT \* change argv \* provide a "declarative" way to define command line interface

In future it SHALL \* hide several formats of command line to one (-Idir, --include=dir, --include dir are the same from API pov)

Please add *@discuss* section in *./../src/zargs.c*.

## EXAMPLE

**From zargs\_test method**.

```
//  Simple create/destroy test
char *argv1[] = {"progname", "--named1", "-n1", "val1", "positional1", "--with", "value", "--with2=value2", "-W3value3", "--", "--thisis", "considered", "positional", NULL};
zargs_t *self = zargs_new (13, argv1);
assert (self);
assert (streq (zargs_progname (self), "progname"));
assert (streq (zargs_first (self), "positional1"));
assert (streq (zargs_next (self), "--thisis"));
assert (streq (zargs_next (self), "considered"));
assert (streq (zargs_next (self), "positional"));
assert (!zargs_next (self));
assert (zargs_has (self, "--named1"));
assert (zargs_has (self, "-n1"));
assert (!zargs_has (self, "--not at all"));
assert (!(zargs_get (self, "--named1")));
assert (streq (zargs_get (self, "-n1"), "val1"));
// common usages - test for -h/--help
bool has_help = zargs_hasx (self, "--help", "-h", NULL);
assert (!has_help);
zargs_destroy (&self);
```

## AUTHORS

The czmq manual was written by the authors in the AUTHORS file.

## RESOURCES

Main web site:

Report bugs to the email \<**zeromq-dev@lists.zeromq.org**\[1\]\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) the Contributors as noted in the AUTHORS file. This file is part of CZMQ, the high-level C binding for 0MQ: http://czmq.zeromq.org. This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. LICENSE included with the czmq distribution.

## NOTES

- 1\.

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