Node js commander args returns true instead the value

Question

I want to create a script with node and node commander and when i try to grab the values of my args i get the value true instead the value itself.

For example if i write this in terminal:

node myfile.js -s somefile -d test

var program = require('commander');

program
  .version('0.0.1')
  .option('-s, --src', 'src csv file')
  .option('-d, --destination', 'destination csv file')
  .parse(process.argv);

console.log(program.src); // return true
console.log(program.destination); // return true

How i get the value of this args?

Can you please include the output from: `console.log(JSON.stringify(program));` Thanks. — L0j1k, Feb 22 '15 at 19:49

score 36 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 22 '15 at 20:10

36

The documentation isn't very clear and only shows this by example, but the syntax you have used ('-s, --src') is for boolean values.

If you want to take a string you need to say so: '-s, --src <item>'

answered Feb 22 '15 at 20:10

Quentin

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score 11 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 22 '15 at 20:15

11

You aren't specifying that the options take input. You can do this by including <data> or [data] (if optional) in your option definitions:

.option('-s, --src <src>', 'src csv file') .option('-d, --dest [dest]', 'destination csv file')

answered Feb 22 '15 at 20:15

L0j1k

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score 8 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 22 '15 at 20:11

You need to specify that the options take an argument and that they are not just a flag

program
  .version('0.0.1')
  .option('-s, --src <file>', 'src csv file')
  .option('-d, --destination <file>', 'destination csv file')
  .parse(process.argv);

If the argument is mandatory, it is specified with <>. If it is optional, with [].

Node js commander args returns true instead the value

3 Answers3