GETOPT(C)                            UNIX System V



     Name
          getopt - parses command options


     Syntax
          set -- `getopt optstring $*`


     Description
          getopt is used to check and  break  up  options  in  command
          lines  for  parsing  by  shell  procedures.   optstring is a
          string of recognized option letters (see getopt(S)).   If  a
          letter  is  followed  by  a colon, the option is expected to
          have an argument which may or may not be separated  from  it
          by whitespace.  The special option -- is used to delimit the
          end of the options.  getopt will place -- in  the  arguments
          at  the  end  of  the  options,  or  recognize  it  if  used
          explicitly.  The shell arguments ($1 $2 . . .) are reset  so
          that  each  option  is preceded by a dash (-) and in its own
          shell argument. Each option argument  is  also  in  its  own
          shell argument.


     Example
          The following code fragment shows how one  can  process  the
          arguments  for  a command that can take the options a and b,
          and the option o, which requires an argument:

          set - - `getopt abo: $*`
          if [ $? != 0 ]
          then
               echo "usage: $0 [-a | -b] [-o <arg>]"
               exit 2
          fi
          for i in $*
          do
               case $i in
               -a | -b)  shift; FLAG=$i;;
               -o)       OARG=$3; shift; shift;;
               - -)      shift;    break;;
               esac
          done

          This code will accept any of the following as equivalent:

          cmd -aoarg
          cmd -a -o arg
          cmd -oarg -a
          cmd -a -oarg --


     See Also
          sh(C), getopt(S)


     Diagnostics
          getopt prints an error message on the standard error when it
          encounters an option letter not included in optstring.


     Notes
          The ``Syntax'' given for this utility assumes the user has a
          sh(C) shell.


     Standards Conformance
          getopt is conformant with:
          AT&T SVID Issue 2, Select Code 307-127.


     (printed 2/15/90)                                  GETOPT(C)