javaapache-commonsapache-commons-cli

Mutually exclusive options using Apache Commons CLI


I can create 2 mutually exclusive options using the following:

Option a = OptionBuilder.create("a");
Option b = OptionBuilder.create("b");

OptionGroup optgrp = new OptionGroup();
optgrp .setRequired(true);
optgrp .addOption(a);
optgrp .addOption(b);

The above will force the user to provide either option a or option b.

But if I have a third option, c:

Option c = OptionBuilder.create("c");

is it possible to create mutually exclusive options such that:

Either:

  1. Option a must be provided OR
  2. Both options b and c must be provided

I couldn't see a way to do it using OptionGroup?


Solution

  • As a workaround to this, I implemented the following, not ideal, but..

    public static void validate(final CommandLine cmdLine) {
       final boolean aSupplied = cmdLine.hasOption(A);
    
       final boolean bAndCSupplied = cmdLine.hasOption(B) && cmdLine.hasOption(C);
    
       final boolean bOrCSupplied = !bAndCSupplied && (cmdLine.hasOption(B) || cmdLine.hasOption(C));
    
       if ((aSupplied && bAndCSupplied) || (!aSupplied && !bAndCSupplied)
          || (aSupplied && bOrCSupplied )) {
              throw new Exception(...);
       }
    }