Help — tj/commander.js

Kind: Class

Source: lib/help.js

TypeScript import types for JSDoc, used by Visual Studio Code IntelliSense and npm run typescript-checkJS https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/jsdoc-supported-types.html#import-types

Help prepares command metadata for help output, including visible commands, options, global options, and arguments. It also creates display terms and comparison data so command help can be ordered and aligned consistently.

Methods

Method	Signature	Returns
`prepareContext`	`prepareContext(contextOptions: undefined)`	`void`
`visibleCommands`	`visibleCommands(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`compareOptions`	`compareOptions(a: undefined, b: undefined)`	`void`
`visibleOptions`	`visibleOptions(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`visibleGlobalOptions`	`visibleGlobalOptions(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`visibleArguments`	`visibleArguments(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`subcommandTerm`	`subcommandTerm(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`optionTerm`	`optionTerm(option: undefined)`	`void`
`argumentTerm`	`argumentTerm(argument: undefined)`	`void`
`longestSubcommandTermLength`	`longestSubcommandTermLength(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`longestOptionTermLength`	`longestOptionTermLength(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`longestGlobalOptionTermLength`	`longestGlobalOptionTermLength(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`longestArgumentTermLength`	`longestArgumentTermLength(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`commandUsage`	`commandUsage(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`commandDescription`	`commandDescription(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`subcommandDescription`	`subcommandDescription(cmd: undefined)`	`void`
`optionDescription`	`optionDescription(option: undefined)`	`void`
`argumentDescription`	`argumentDescription(argument: undefined)`	`void`
`formatItemList`	`formatItemList(heading: undefined, items: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`groupItems`	`groupItems(unsortedItems: undefined, visibleItems: undefined, getGroup: undefined)`	`void`
`formatHelp`	`formatHelp(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`displayWidth`	`displayWidth(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleTitle`	`styleTitle(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleUsage`	`styleUsage(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleCommandDescription`	`styleCommandDescription(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleOptionDescription`	`styleOptionDescription(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleSubcommandDescription`	`styleSubcommandDescription(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleArgumentDescription`	`styleArgumentDescription(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleDescriptionText`	`styleDescriptionText(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleOptionTerm`	`styleOptionTerm(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleSubcommandTerm`	`styleSubcommandTerm(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleArgumentTerm`	`styleArgumentTerm(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleOptionText`	`styleOptionText(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleArgumentText`	`styleArgumentText(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleSubcommandText`	`styleSubcommandText(str: undefined)`	`void`
`styleCommandText`	`styleCommandText(str: undefined)`	`void`
`padWidth`	`padWidth(cmd: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`preformatted`	`preformatted(str: undefined)`	`void`
`formatItem`	`formatItem(term: undefined, termWidth: undefined, description: undefined, helper: undefined)`	`void`
`boxWrap`	`boxWrap(str: undefined, width: undefined)`	`void`

Where it refuses work

Help stops the work with an early return when word === '[options]', in 2 places.
Help stops the work with an early return when word[0] === '[' || word[0] === '<', in 2 places.
Help stops the work with an early return when !this.showGlobalOptions.
Help stops the work with an early return when cmd.registeredArguments.find((argument) => argument.description).
Help stops the work with an early return when option.description.
Help stops the work with an early return when argument.description.

Diagram

mermaid
graph LR
  Command[Command definition] --> Help[Help]
  Help --> Context[Prepared context]
  Context --> Commands[Visible commands]
  Context --> Options[Visible options]
  Context --> Arguments[Visible arguments]
  Options --> Terms[Option terms]
  Commands --> Terms
  Arguments --> Terms
  Terms --> HelpOutput[Help output]

Usage

js
import { Command, Help } from 'commander';

const program = new Command()
  .name('deploy')
  .description('Deploy an application')
  .argument('<environment>', 'target environment')
  .option('-d, --dry-run', 'show changes without deploying');

const help = new Help();

help.prepareContext();

const optionTerms = help
  .visibleOptions(program)
  .map((option) => help.optionTerm(option));

const argumentTerms = help
  .visibleArguments(program)
  .map((argument) => help.argumentTerm(argument));

console.log({
  options: optionTerms,
  arguments: argumentTerms,
});

AI Coding Instructions

Call prepareContext() before reading visible commands, options, or arguments when generating help content.
Use visibleOptions(), visibleGlobalOptions(), and visibleCommands() instead of reading command collections directly so hidden entries are excluded.
Build displayed labels through subcommandTerm(), optionTerm(), and argumentTerm() rather than duplicating formatting logic.
Use compareOptions() when sorting option lists to keep help output ordering consistent.
Use longestSubcommandTermLength() when calculating padding for aligned subcommand output.

Relationships

IMPORTS → humanReadableArgName

Used by

2 references from 2 files. Each is a place in this repository where the symbol is actually used — go read one rather than trusting an example.

Imported by (2)

program — index.js:7
Command — lib/command.js:14