commandlineparser/commandline

Extended help information

Open

#337 opened on Sep 26, 2018

View on GitHub
 (4 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)C# (4,280 stars) (461 forks)batch import
enhancementgood first issue

Description

I think that it would be nice if we could display additional text about application if someone types MyApp --help, and additional help for verb if someone types MyApp Verb --help.

I know there is HelpText property on BaseAttribute. It is nice for communicating what given option does, however I think that it is not suitable for extended, in-depth explanation. I would see it like that:

MyApp.exe help
MyApp 1.0.0
Copyright (C) 2018 MyApp 

  verb1    Help text for verb 1
  verb2    Help text for verb 2
  help             Display more information on a specific command.
  version          Display version information.

Long explanation about app

MyApp.exe help verb1
MyApp 1.0.0
Copyright (C) 2018 MyApp 

  verb1    Help text for verb 1
  verb2    Help text for verb 2
  help             Display more information on a specific command.
  version          Display version information.

Long explanation about verb1

Contributor guide

Tech stack
csharp
Domain
clidocumentation
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C# knowledgeFamiliarity with CommandLine library
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
35
Research direction
Examine the existing HelpText property on BaseAttribute and the help text rendering logic. Look at files like HelpText.cs or similar in the source. The feature requires adding an ExtendedHelpText property to options/verbs, then modifying the help output to include the extended text after the command summary. Review the format shown in the issue to understand placement. Check if there are any linked PRs or comments that discuss implementation details.