package cli
import (
"context"
"flag"
"strings"
)
// Context is a type that is passed through to
// each Handler action in a cli application. Context
// can be used to retrieve context-specific args and
// parsed command-line options.
type Context struct {
context.Context
App *App
Command *Command
shellComplete bool
flagSet *flag.FlagSet
parentContext *Context
}
// NewContext creates a new context. For use in when invoking an App or Command action.
func NewContext(app *App, set *flag.FlagSet, parentCtx *Context) *Context {
c := &Context{App: app, flagSet: set, parentContext: parentCtx}
if parentCtx != nil {
c.Context = parentCtx.Context
c.shellComplete = parentCtx.shellComplete
if parentCtx.flagSet == nil {
parentCtx.flagSet = &flag.FlagSet{}
c.Command = &Command{}
if c.Context == nil {
c.Context = context.Background()
return c
// NumFlags returns the number of flags set
func (c *Context) NumFlags() int {
return c.flagSet.NFlag()
// Set sets a context flag to a value.
func (c *Context) Set(name, value string) error {
return c.flagSet.Set(name, value)
// IsSet determines if the flag was actually set
func (c *Context) IsSet(name string) bool {
if fs := c.lookupFlagSet(name); fs != nil {
isSet := false
fs.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) {
if f.Name == name {
isSet = true
})
if isSet {
return true
f := c.lookupFlag(name)
if f == nil {
return false
return f.IsSet()
// LocalFlagNames returns a slice of flag names used in this context.
func (c *Context) LocalFlagNames() []string {
var names []string
c.flagSet.Visit(makeFlagNameVisitor(&names))
return names
// FlagNames returns a slice of flag names used by the this context and all of
// its parent contexts.
func (c *Context) FlagNames() []string {
for _, ctx := range c.Lineage() {
ctx.flagSet.Visit(makeFlagNameVisitor(&names))
// Lineage returns *this* context and all of its ancestor contexts in order from
// child to parent
func (c *Context) Lineage() []*Context {
var lineage []*Context
for cur := c; cur != nil; cur = cur.parentContext {
lineage = append(lineage, cur)
return lineage
// Value returns the value of the flag corresponding to `name`
func (c *Context) Value(name string) interface{} {
return fs.Lookup(name).Value.(flag.Getter).Get()
return nil
// Args returns the command line arguments associated with the context.
func (c *Context) Args() Args {
ret := args(c.flagSet.Args())
return &ret
// NArg returns the number of the command line arguments.
func (c *Context) NArg() int {
return c.Args().Len()
func (ctx *Context) lookupFlag(name string) Flag {
for _, c := range ctx.Lineage() {
if c.Command == nil {
continue
for _, f := range c.Command.Flags {
for _, n := range f.Names() {
if n == name {
return f
if ctx.App != nil {
for _, f := range ctx.App.Flags {
func (ctx *Context) lookupFlagSet(name string) *flag.FlagSet {
if f := c.flagSet.Lookup(name); f != nil {
return c.flagSet
func (context *Context) checkRequiredFlags(flags []Flag) requiredFlagsErr {
var missingFlags []string
for _, f := range flags {
if rf, ok := f.(RequiredFlag); ok && rf.IsRequired() {
var flagPresent bool
var flagName string
for _, key := range f.Names() {
if len(key) > 1 {
flagName = key
if context.IsSet(strings.TrimSpace(key)) {
flagPresent = true
if !flagPresent && flagName != "" {
missingFlags = append(missingFlags, flagName)
if len(missingFlags) != 0 {
return &errRequiredFlags{missingFlags: missingFlags}
func makeFlagNameVisitor(names *[]string) func(*flag.Flag) {
return func(f *flag.Flag) {
nameParts := strings.Split(f.Name, ",")
name := strings.TrimSpace(nameParts[0])
for _, part := range nameParts {
part = strings.TrimSpace(part)
if len(part) > len(name) {
name = part
if name != "" {
*names = append(*names, name)