Merge pull request #53 from sdomino/feature/private-flags
private flags
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 247ceca..e74dd50 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -216,24 +216,33 @@
myFlagSet.SetNormalizeFunc(aliasNormalizeFunc)
```
-## Deprecating a flag or its shorthand
-It is possible to deprecate a flag, or just its shorthand. Deprecating a flag/shorthand hides it from help text and prints a usage message when the deprecated flag/shorthand is used.
+## Deprecating a flag or its shorthand
+It is possible to deprecate a flag, or just its shorthand. Deprecating a flag/shorthand hides it from help text and prints a usage message when the deprecated flag/shorthand is used.
-**Example #1**: You want to deprecate a flag named "badflag" as well as inform the users what flag they should use instead.
+**Example #1**: You want to deprecate a flag named "badflag" as well as inform the users what flag they should use instead.
```go
-// deprecate a flag by specifying its name and a usage message
+// deprecate a flag by specifying its name and a usage message
flags.MarkDeprecated("badflag", "please use --good-flag instead")
```
-This hides "badflag" from help text, and prints `Flag --badflag has been deprecated, please use --good-flag instead` when "badflag" is used.
+This hides "badflag" from help text, and prints `Flag --badflag has been deprecated, please use --good-flag instead` when "badflag" is used.
-**Example #2**: You want to keep a flag name "noshorthandflag" but deprecate its shortname "n".
+**Example #2**: You want to keep a flag name "noshorthandflag" but deprecate its shortname "n".
```go
-// deprecate a flag shorthand by specifying its flag name and a usage message
+// deprecate a flag shorthand by specifying its flag name and a usage message
flags.MarkShorthandDeprecated("noshorthandflag", "please use --noshorthandflag only")
```
-This hides the shortname "n" from help text, and prints `Flag shorthand -n has been deprecated, please use --noshorthandflag only` when the shorthand "n" is used.
+This hides the shortname "n" from help text, and prints `Flag shorthand -n has been deprecated, please use --noshorthandflag only` when the shorthand "n" is used.
-Note that usage message is essential here, and it should not be empty.
+Note that usage message is essential here, and it should not be empty.
+
+## Hidden flags
+It is possible to mark a flag as hidden, meaning it will still function as normal, however will not show up in usage/help text.
+
+**Example**: You have a flag named "secretFlag" that you need for internal use only and don't want it showing up in help text, or for its usage text to be available.
+```go
+// hide a flag by specifying its name
+flags.MarkHidden("secretFlag")
+```
## More info
diff --git a/flag.go b/flag.go
index 73f202f..66ef096 100644
--- a/flag.go
+++ b/flag.go
@@ -157,8 +157,9 @@
Changed bool // If the user set the value (or if left to default)
NoOptDefVal string //default value (as text); if the flag is on the command line without any options
Deprecated string // If this flag is deprecated, this string is the new or now thing to use
+ Hidden bool // used by cobra.Command to allow flags to be hidden from help/usage text
ShorthandDeprecated string // If the shorthand of this flag is deprecated, this string is the new or now thing to use
- Annotations map[string][]string // used by cobra.Command bash autocomple code
+ Annotations map[string][]string // used by cobra.Command bash autocomple code
}
// Value is the interface to the dynamic value stored in a flag.
@@ -321,6 +322,17 @@
return nil
}
+// MarkHidden sets a flag to 'hidden' in your program. It will continue to
+// function but will not show up in help or usage messages.
+func (f *FlagSet) MarkHidden(name string) error {
+ flag := f.Lookup(name)
+ if flag == nil {
+ return fmt.Errorf("flag %q does not exist", name)
+ }
+ flag.Hidden = true
+ return nil
+}
+
// Lookup returns the Flag structure of the named command-line flag,
// returning nil if none exists.
func Lookup(name string) *Flag {
@@ -394,7 +406,7 @@
x := new(bytes.Buffer)
f.VisitAll(func(flag *Flag) {
- if len(flag.Deprecated) > 0 {
+ if len(flag.Deprecated) > 0 || flag.Hidden {
return
}
format := ""
diff --git a/flag_test.go b/flag_test.go
index 165f689..1b4005c 100644
--- a/flag_test.go
+++ b/flag_test.go
@@ -831,3 +831,35 @@
t.Fatal("Expected normalizeFlagNameInvocations to be 1; got ", normalizeFlagNameInvocations)
}
}
+
+//
+func TestHiddenFlagInUsage(t *testing.T) {
+ f := NewFlagSet("bob", ContinueOnError)
+ f.Bool("secretFlag", true, "shhh")
+ f.MarkHidden("secretFlag")
+
+ out := new(bytes.Buffer)
+ f.SetOutput(out)
+ f.PrintDefaults()
+
+ if strings.Contains(out.String(), "secretFlag") {
+ t.Errorf("found hidden flag in usage!")
+ }
+}
+
+//
+func TestHiddenFlagUsage(t *testing.T) {
+ f := NewFlagSet("bob", ContinueOnError)
+ f.Bool("secretFlag", true, "shhh")
+ f.MarkHidden("secretFlag")
+
+ args := []string{"--secretFlag"}
+ out, err := parseReturnStderr(t, f, args)
+ if err != nil {
+ t.Fatal("expected no error; got ", err)
+ }
+
+ if strings.Contains(out, "shhh") {
+ t.Errorf("usage message printed when using a hidden flag!")
+ }
+}
