[GRASS-dev] Re: [GRASS GIS] #953: module help information in machine-readable format

[GRASS GIS]

#953: module help information in machine-readable format
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  Reporter:  cmbarton     |       Owner:  glynn         
      Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  new           
  Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:  6.5.0         
 Component:  default      |     Version:  unspecified   
Resolution:               |    Keywords:  help, metadata
  Platform:  All          |         Cpu:  All           
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Comment (by glynn):

 Replying to [ticket:953 cmbarton]:
 > The information returned from running "<module> help" would be useful
 for a variety of interface=related tasks like auto-completion and
 automatic menu building. Unfortunately, it is completely localized, making
 it impossible to parse in a reliable fashion within scripts and computer
 code.

 The --help output isn't appropriate for this. Use --interface-description
 instead.

 > I'm requesting the addition of a parameter to G_usage() which would
 replace the human-readable section descriptions with markers which can be
 relied upon to never occur in normal help text, e.g. "{{{KEYWORDS}}}\n",
 then add a (e.g.) --help-data option. It would be helpful to also include
 an unlocalized version of the keys for each of the description sections
 (e.g., Description, Flags, Usage in an English localization).

 I've added --help-text, which delimits the main sections of the --help
 output with machine-readable markers, and also writes to stdout rather
 than stderr.

 Code should not attempt to parse the output further; if you want more
 specific information, use the --interface-description output.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/953#comment:4>
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>