NAME

       Getopt::Std - Process single-character switches with switch clustering

SYNOPSIS

           use Getopt::Std;

           getopts('oif:');  # -o & -i are boolean flags, -f takes an argument
                             # Sets $opt_* as a side effect.
           getopts('oif:', \%opts);  # options as above. Values in %opts
           getopt('oDI');    # -o, -D & -I take arg.
                             # Sets $opt_* as a side effect.
           getopt('oDI', \%opts);    # -o, -D & -I take arg.  Values in %opts

DESCRIPTION

       The "getopts()" function processes single-character switches with switch clustering.  Pass
       one argument which is a string containing all switches to be recognized.  For each switch
       found, if an argument is expected and provided, "getopts()" sets $opt_x (where "x" is the
       switch name) to the value of the argument.  If an argument is expected but none is
       provided, $opt_x is set to an undefined value.  If a switch does not take an argument,
       $opt_x is set to 1.

       Switches which take an argument don't care whether there is a space between the switch and
       the argument.  If unspecified switches are found on the command-line, the user will be
       warned that an unknown option was given.

       The "getopts()" function returns true unless an invalid option was found.

       The "getopt()" function is similar, but its argument is a string containing all switches
       that take an argument.  If no argument is provided for a switch, say, "y", the
       corresponding $opt_y will be set to an undefined value.  Unspecified switches are silently
       accepted.  Use of "getopt()" is not recommended.

       Note that, if your code is running under the recommended "use strict vars" pragma, you
       will need to declare these package variables with "our":

           our($opt_x, $opt_y);

       For those of you who don't like additional global variables being created, "getopt()" and
       "getopts()" will also accept a hash reference as an optional second argument.  Hash keys
       will be "x" (where "x" is the switch name) with key values the value of the argument or 1
       if no argument is specified.

       To allow programs to process arguments that look like switches, but aren't, both functions
       will stop processing switches when they see the argument "--".  The "--" will be removed
       from @ARGV.

"--help" and "--version"

       If "-" is not a recognized switch letter, getopts() supports arguments "--help" and
       "--version".  If "main::HELP_MESSAGE()" and/or "main::VERSION_MESSAGE()" are defined, they
       are called; the arguments are the output file handle, the name of option-processing
       package, its version, and the switches string.  If the subroutines are not defined, an
       attempt is made to generate intelligent messages; for best results, define $main::VERSION.

       If embedded documentation (in pod format, see perlpod) is detected in the script, "--help"
       will also show how to access the documentation.

       Note that due to excessive paranoia, if $Getopt::Std::STANDARD_HELP_VERSION isn't true
       (the default is false), then the messages are printed on STDERR, and the processing
       continues after the messages are printed.  This being the opposite of the standard-
       conforming behaviour, it is strongly recommended to set
       $Getopt::Std::STANDARD_HELP_VERSION to true.

       One can change the output file handle of the messages by setting
       $Getopt::Std::OUTPUT_HELP_VERSION.  One can print the messages of "--help" (without the
       "Usage:" line) and "--version" by calling functions help_mess() and version_mess() with
       the switches string as an argument.