package cli
import (
"fmt"
"io"
"os"
"strings"
"text/tabwriter"
"text/template"
"unicode/utf8"
)
var helpCommand = &Command{
Name: "help",
Aliases: []string{"h"},
Usage: "Shows a list of commands or help for one command",
ArgsUsage: "[command]",
Action: func(c *Context) error {
args := c.Args()
if args.Present() {
return ShowCommandHelp(c, args.First())
}
_ = ShowAppHelp(c)
return nil
},
var helpSubcommand = &Command{
return ShowSubcommandHelp(c)
// Prints help for the App or Command
type helpPrinter func(w io.Writer, templ string, data interface{})
// Prints help for the App or Command with custom template function.
type helpPrinterCustom func(w io.Writer, templ string, data interface{}, customFunc map[string]interface{})
// HelpPrinter is a function that writes the help output. If not set a default
// is used. The function signature is:
// func(w io.Writer, templ string, data interface{})
var HelpPrinter helpPrinter = printHelp
// HelpPrinterCustom is same as HelpPrinter but
// takes a custom function for template function map.
var HelpPrinterCustom helpPrinterCustom = printHelpCustom
// VersionPrinter prints the version for the App
var VersionPrinter = printVersion
// ShowAppHelpAndExit - Prints the list of subcommands for the app and exits with exit code.
func ShowAppHelpAndExit(c *Context, exitCode int) {
os.Exit(exitCode)
// ShowAppHelp is an action that displays the help.
func ShowAppHelp(c *Context) (err error) {
if c.App.CustomAppHelpTemplate == "" {
HelpPrinter(c.App.Writer, AppHelpTemplate, c.App)
return
customAppData := func() map[string]interface{} {
if c.App.ExtraInfo == nil {
return map[string]interface{}{
"ExtraInfo": c.App.ExtraInfo,
HelpPrinterCustom(c.App.Writer, c.App.CustomAppHelpTemplate, c.App, customAppData())
// DefaultAppComplete prints the list of subcommands as the default app completion method
func DefaultAppComplete(c *Context) {
DefaultCompleteWithFlags(nil)(c)
func printCommandSuggestions(commands []*Command, writer io.Writer) {
for _, command := range commands {
if command.Hidden {
continue
if os.Getenv("_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK") == "1" {
for _, name := range command.Names() {
_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(writer, "%s:%s\n", name, command.Usage)
} else {
_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(writer, "%s\n", name)
func cliArgContains(flagName string) bool {
for _, name := range strings.Split(flagName, ",") {
name = strings.TrimSpace(name)
count := utf8.RuneCountInString(name)
if count > 2 {
count = 2
flag := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", strings.Repeat("-", count), name)
for _, a := range os.Args {
if a == flag {
return true
return false
func printFlagSuggestions(lastArg string, flags []Flag, writer io.Writer) {
cur := strings.TrimPrefix(lastArg, "-")
cur = strings.TrimPrefix(cur, "-")
for _, flag := range flags {
if bflag, ok := flag.(*BoolFlag); ok && bflag.Hidden {
for _, name := range flag.Names(){
// this will get total count utf8 letters in flag name
count = 2 // resuse this count to generate single - or -- in flag completion
// if flag name has more than one utf8 letter and last argument in cli has -- prefix then
// skip flag completion for short flags example -v or -x
if strings.HasPrefix(lastArg, "--") && count == 1 {
// match if last argument matches this flag and it is not repeated
if strings.HasPrefix(name, cur) && cur != name && !cliArgContains(name) {
flagCompletion := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", strings.Repeat("-", count), name)
_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(writer, flagCompletion)
func DefaultCompleteWithFlags(cmd *Command) func(c *Context) {
return func(c *Context) {
if len(os.Args) > 2 {
lastArg := os.Args[len(os.Args)-2]
if strings.HasPrefix(lastArg, "-") {
printFlagSuggestions(lastArg, c.App.Flags, c.App.Writer)
if cmd != nil {
printFlagSuggestions(lastArg, cmd.Flags, c.App.Writer)
printCommandSuggestions(cmd.Subcommands, c.App.Writer)
printCommandSuggestions(c.App.Commands, c.App.Writer)
// ShowCommandHelpAndExit - exits with code after showing help
func ShowCommandHelpAndExit(c *Context, command string, code int) {
_ = ShowCommandHelp(c, command)
os.Exit(code)
// ShowCommandHelp prints help for the given command
func ShowCommandHelp(ctx *Context, command string) error {
// show the subcommand help for a command with subcommands
if command == "" {
HelpPrinter(ctx.App.Writer, SubcommandHelpTemplate, ctx.App)
for _, c := range ctx.App.Commands {
if c.HasName(command) {
if c.CustomHelpTemplate != "" {
HelpPrinterCustom(ctx.App.Writer, c.CustomHelpTemplate, c, nil)
HelpPrinter(ctx.App.Writer, CommandHelpTemplate, c)
if ctx.App.CommandNotFound == nil {
return Exit(fmt.Sprintf("No help topic for '%v'", command), 3)
ctx.App.CommandNotFound(ctx, command)
// ShowSubcommandHelp prints help for the given subcommand
func ShowSubcommandHelp(c *Context) error {
if c == nil {
if c.Command != nil {
return ShowCommandHelp(c, c.Command.Name)
return ShowCommandHelp(c, "")
// ShowVersion prints the version number of the App
func ShowVersion(c *Context) {
VersionPrinter(c)
func printVersion(c *Context) {
_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(c.App.Writer, "%v version %v\n", c.App.Name, c.App.Version)
// ShowCompletions prints the lists of commands within a given context
func ShowCompletions(c *Context) {
a := c.App
if a != nil && a.BashComplete != nil {
a.BashComplete(c)
// ShowCommandCompletions prints the custom completions for a given command
func ShowCommandCompletions(ctx *Context, command string) {
c := ctx.App.Command(command)
if c != nil {
if c.BashComplete != nil {
c.BashComplete(ctx)
DefaultCompleteWithFlags(c)(ctx)
func printHelpCustom(out io.Writer, templ string, data interface{}, customFunc map[string]interface{}) {
funcMap := template.FuncMap{
"join": strings.Join,
for key, value := range customFunc {
funcMap[key] = value
w := tabwriter.NewWriter(out, 1, 8, 2, ' ', 0)
t := template.Must(template.New("help").Funcs(funcMap).Parse(templ))
err := t.Execute(w, data)
if err != nil {
// If the writer is closed, t.Execute will fail, and there's nothing
// we can do to recover.
if os.Getenv("CLI_TEMPLATE_ERROR_DEBUG") != "" {
_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(ErrWriter, "CLI TEMPLATE ERROR: %#v\n", err)
_ = w.Flush()
func printHelp(out io.Writer, templ string, data interface{}) {
printHelpCustom(out, templ, data, nil)
func checkVersion(c *Context) bool {
found := false
for _, name := range VersionFlag.Names() {
if c.Bool(name) {
found = true
return found
func checkHelp(c *Context) bool {
for _, name := range HelpFlag.Names() {
func checkCommandHelp(c *Context, name string) bool {
if c.Bool("h") || c.Bool("help") {
_ = ShowCommandHelp(c, name)
func checkSubcommandHelp(c *Context) bool {
_ = ShowSubcommandHelp(c)
func checkShellCompleteFlag(a *App, arguments []string) (bool, []string) {
if !a.EnableBashCompletion {
return false, arguments
pos := len(arguments) - 1
lastArg := arguments[pos]
if lastArg != "--generate-bash-completion" {
return true, arguments[:pos]
func checkCompletions(c *Context) bool {
if !c.shellComplete {
if args := c.Args(); args.Present() {
name := args.First()
if cmd := c.App.Command(name); cmd != nil {
// let the command handle the completion
ShowCompletions(c)
func checkCommandCompletions(c *Context, name string) bool {
ShowCommandCompletions(c, name)