zopt

What is zopt?

zopt is a command line argument parser designed for the Zig programming language. It uses a schemaless, lazy approach that scans arguments only when queried, rather than validating against a predefined structure upfront. The library acts as a thin wrapper around Zig standard library argument processing, leaving help text generation, error handling, and default value logic to the application code.

It supports standard flag and option formats, including short and long names, clustered flags like -abc, and both space-separated and equals-sign syntax. zopt tracks queried flags to correctly identify positional arguments later in the execution flow. It includes runtime checks to catch common mistakes, such as missing required values or querying arguments after positional parsing has begun.

The API provides methods for single and repeated options, automatic type conversion for integers, floats, and enums, and straightforward integration into small-scale CLI tools. Because it avoids strict schema validation, developers trade upfront rigidity for a simpler, more flexible interface.

zopt features

• Lazy schema-on-read argument scanning
• Supports short and long flags and options
• Handles clustered flags like -abc
• Detects missing option values at runtime
• Automatic type parsing for numbers and enums
• Tracks positional arguments automatically
• Repeated option collection support

Who uses zopt and for what

• Building lightweight CLI utilities in Zig
• Parsing mixed short and long command line flags
• Handling optional arguments with custom default values
• Collecting multiple values for the same option flag
• Converting string arguments directly to integers or enums
• Developing tools that require simple positional argument tracking

zopt FAQ

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