PHP: getopt function - Gets options from the command line argument list

Description

array getopt ( string $options [, array $longopts ] )

Parses options passed to the script.

Parameters

options: Each character in this string will be used as option characters and matched against options passed to the script starting with a single hyphen (-). For example, an option string "x" recognizes an option -x.
longopts: An array of options. Each element in this array will be used as option strings and matched against options passed to the script starting with two hyphens (--). For example, an longopts element "opt" recognizes an option --opt.
Note: Prior to PHP5.3.0 this parameter was only available on few systems

The options parameter may contain the following elements:

Individual characters (do not accept values)
Characters followed by a colon (parameter requires value)
Characters followed by two colons (optional value)

Option values are the first argument after the string. It does not matter if a value has leading white space or not.

Note: Optional values do not accept " " (space) as a seperator.

Note: The format for the options and longopts is almost the same, the only difference is that longopts takes an array of options (where each element is the option) where as options takes a string (where each character is the option).

Return Values

This function will return an array of option / argument pairs or FALSE on failure.

ChangeLog

Version	Description
5.3.0	Added support for "=" as argument/value separator.
5.3.0	Added support for optional values (specified with "::").
5.3.0	This function is no longer system dependent and works on Windows too.

Examples

Example #1 getopt() Example


<?php
$options = getopt("f:hp:");
var_dump($options);
?>

Running the above script with php script.php -fvalue -h will output:

array(2) {
  ["f"]=>
  string(5) "value"
  ["h"]=>
  bool(false)
}

Example #2 getopt() Example#2


<?php
$shortopts  = "";
$shortopts .= "f:";  // Required value
$shortopts .= "v::"; // Optional value
$shortopts .= "abc"; // These options do not accept values

$longopts  = array(
    "required:",     // Required value
    "optional::",    // Optional value
    "option",        // No value
    "opt",           // No value
);
$options = getopt($shortopts, $longopts);
var_dump($options);
?>

Running the above script with php script.php -f "value for f" -v -a --required value --optional="optional value" --option will output:

array(6) {
  ["f"]=>
  string(11) "value for f"
  ["v"]=>
  bool(false)
  ["a"]=>
  bool(false)
  ["required"]=>
  string(5) "value"
  ["optional"]=>
  string(14) "optional value"
  ["option"]=>
  bool(false)
}

Example #3 getopt() Example#3

Passing multiple options as one


<?php
$options = getopt("abc");
var_dump($options);
?>

Running the above script with php script.php -aaac will output:

array(2) {
  ["a"]=>
  array(3) {
    [0]=>
    bool(false)
    [1]=>
    bool(false)
    [2]=>
    bool(false)
  }
  ["c"]=>
  bool(false)
}

Notes

Note: The register_argc_argv option must be enabled for this function to work