command line option
<software> (Or "option", "flag", "switch", "option switch") An argument
to a command that modifies its function rather than providing data. Options
generally start with "-" in Unix or "/" in MS-DOS. This is usually followed by a
single letter or occasionally a digit.
Some commands require each option to be a separate argument, introduced by a new
"-" or "/", others allow multiple option letters to be concatenated into a
single argument with a single "-" or "/", e.g. "ls -al". A few Unix commands
(e.g. ar, tar) allow the "-" to be omitted. Some options may or must be followed
by a value, e.g. "cc prog.c -o prog", sometimes with and sometimes without an
intervening space.
getopt and getopts are commands for parsing command line options. There is also
a C library routine called getopt for the same purpose.
(1996-12-11)
Nearby terms:
command key « command line interface « command-line
interpreter « command line option » comma
separated values » COMMEN » comment
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