7.5.5.1 Required Attributes

Every option must have exactly one copy of both of these attributes.

‘name’

Long name for the option. Even if you are not accepting long options and are only accepting flags, it must be provided. AutoOpts generates private, named storage that requires this name. This name also causes a #define-d name to be emitted. It must not conflict with any other names you may be using in your program.

For example, if your option name is, debug or munged-up, you must not use the #define names DEBUG (or MUNGED_UP) in your program for non-AutoOpts related purposes. They are now used by AutoOpts.

Sometimes (most especially under Windows), you may get a surprise. For example, INTERFACE is apparently a user space name that one should be free to use. Windows usurps this name. To solve this, you must do one of the following:

1. Change the name of your option
2. add the program attribute (see section Program Description Attributes):

   export = '#undef INTERFACE';

3. add the program attribute:

   guard-option-names;

‘descrip’

Except for documentation options, a very brief description of the option. About 40 characters on one line, maximum, not counting any texinfo markups. Texinfo markups are stripped before printing in the usage text. It appears on the usage() output next to the option name.

If, however, the option is a documentation option, it will appear on one or more lines by itself. It is thus used to visually separate and comment upon groups of options in the usage text.

This document was generated by Bruce Korb on August 21, 2015 using texi2html 1.82.