Make '--help' do the same as 'help' (i.e. show a manpage)

src/libutil/args.cc

@@ -96,41 +96,6 @@ void Args::parseCmdline(const Strings & _cmdline)
     processArgs(pendingArgs, true);
 }
 
-void Args::printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out)
-{
-    std::cout << fmt(ANSI_BOLD "Usage:" ANSI_NORMAL " %s " ANSI_ITALIC "FLAGS..." ANSI_NORMAL, programName);
-    for (auto & exp : expectedArgs) {
-        std::cout << renderLabels({exp.label});
-        // FIXME: handle arity > 1
-        if (exp.handler.arity == ArityAny) std::cout << "...";
-        if (exp.optional) std::cout << "?";
-    }
-    std::cout << "\n";
-
-    auto s = description();
-    if (s != "")
-        std::cout << "\n" ANSI_BOLD "Summary:" ANSI_NORMAL " " << s << ".\n";
-
-    if (longFlags.size()) {
-        std::cout << "\n";
-        std::cout << ANSI_BOLD "Flags:" ANSI_NORMAL "\n";
-        printFlags(out);
-    }
-}
-
-void Args::printFlags(std::ostream & out)
-{
-    Table2 table;
-    for (auto & flag : longFlags) {
-        if (hiddenCategories.count(flag.second->category)) continue;
-        table.push_back(std::make_pair(
-                (flag.second->shortName ? std::string("-") + flag.second->shortName + ", " : "    ")
-                + "--" + flag.first + renderLabels(flag.second->labels),
-                flag.second->description));
-    }
-    printTable(out, table);
-}
-
 bool Args::processFlag(Strings::iterator & pos, Strings::iterator end)
 {
     assert(pos != end);
@@ -331,28 +296,6 @@ Strings argvToStrings(int argc, char * * argv)
     return args;
 }
 
-std::string renderLabels(const Strings & labels)
-{
-    std::string res;
-    for (auto label : labels) {
-        for (auto & c : label) c = std::toupper(c);
-        res += " " ANSI_ITALIC + label + ANSI_NORMAL;
-    }
-    return res;
-}
-
-void printTable(std::ostream & out, const Table2 & table)
-{
-    size_t max = 0;
-    for (auto & row : table)
-        max = std::max(max, filterANSIEscapes(row.first, true).size());
-    for (auto & row : table) {
-        out << "  " << row.first
-            << std::string(max - filterANSIEscapes(row.first, true).size() + 2, ' ')
-            << row.second << "\n";
-    }
-}
-
 MultiCommand::MultiCommand(const Commands & commands)
     : commands(commands)
 {
@@ -376,38 +319,6 @@ MultiCommand::MultiCommand(const Commands & commands)
     categories[Command::catDefault] = "Available commands";
 }
 
-void MultiCommand::printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out)
-{
-    if (command) {
-        command->second->printHelp(programName + " " + command->first, out);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    out << fmt(ANSI_BOLD "Usage:" ANSI_NORMAL " %s " ANSI_ITALIC "COMMAND FLAGS... ARGS..." ANSI_NORMAL "\n", programName);
-
-    out << "\n" ANSI_BOLD "Common flags:" ANSI_NORMAL "\n";
-    printFlags(out);
-
-    std::map<Command::Category, std::map<std::string, ref<Command>>> commandsByCategory;
-
-    for (auto & [name, commandFun] : commands) {
-        auto command = commandFun();
-        commandsByCategory[command->category()].insert_or_assign(name, command);
-    }
-
-    for (auto & [category, commands] : commandsByCategory) {
-        out << fmt("\n" ANSI_BOLD "%s:" ANSI_NORMAL "\n", categories[category]);
-
-        Table2 table;
-        for (auto & [name, command] : commands) {
-            auto descr = command->description();
-            if (!descr.empty())
-                table.push_back(std::make_pair(name, descr));
-        }
-        printTable(out, table);
-    }
-}
-
 bool MultiCommand::processFlag(Strings::iterator & pos, Strings::iterator end)
 {
     if (Args::processFlag(pos, end)) return true;

src/libutil/args.hh

@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ public:
        wrong. */
     void parseCmdline(const Strings & cmdline);
 
-    virtual void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out);
-
     /* Return a short one-line description of the command. */
     virtual std::string description() { return ""; }
 
@@ -115,8 +113,6 @@ protected:
 
     virtual bool processFlag(Strings::iterator & pos, Strings::iterator end);
 
-    virtual void printFlags(std::ostream & out);
-
     /* Positional arguments. */
     struct ExpectedArg
     {
@@ -223,8 +219,6 @@ public:
 
     MultiCommand(const Commands & commands);
 
-    void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out) override;
-
     bool processFlag(Strings::iterator & pos, Strings::iterator end) override;
 
     bool processArgs(const Strings & args, bool finish) override;
@@ -234,14 +228,6 @@ public:
 
 Strings argvToStrings(int argc, char * * argv);
 
-/* Helper function for rendering argument labels. */
-std::string renderLabels(const Strings & labels);
-
-/* Helper function for printing 2-column tables. */
-typedef std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>> Table2;
-
-void printTable(std::ostream & out, const Table2 & table);
-
 struct Completion {
     std::string completion;
     std::string description;

src/nix/command.cc

@@ -27,11 +27,6 @@ nix::Commands RegisterCommand::getCommandsFor(const std::vector<std::string> & p
     return res;
 }
 
-void NixMultiCommand::printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out)
-{
-    MultiCommand::printHelp(programName, out);
-}
-
 nlohmann::json NixMultiCommand::toJSON()
 {
     // FIXME: use Command::toJSON() as well.

src/nix/command.hh

@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ static constexpr Command::Category catNixInstallation = 102;
 
 struct NixMultiCommand : virtual MultiCommand, virtual Command
 {
-    void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out) override;
-
     nlohmann::json toJSON() override;
 };
 

src/nix/main.cc

@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ static bool haveInternet()
 std::string programPath;
 char * * savedArgv;
 
+struct HelpRequested { };
+
 struct NixArgs : virtual MultiCommand, virtual MixCommonArgs
 {
     bool printBuildLogs = false;
@@ -71,22 +73,7 @@ struct NixArgs : virtual MultiCommand, virtual MixCommonArgs
         addFlag({
             .longName = "help",
             .description = "Show usage information.",
-            .handler = {[&]() { if (!completions) showHelpAndExit(); }},
+            .handler = {[&]() { throw HelpRequested(); }},
-        });
-
-        addFlag({
-            .longName = "help-config",
-            .description = "Show configuration settings.",
-            .handler = {[&]() {
-                std::cout << "The following configuration settings are available:\n\n";
-                Table2 tbl;
-                std::map<std::string, Config::SettingInfo> settings;
-                globalConfig.getSettings(settings);
-                for (const auto & s : settings)
-                    tbl.emplace_back(s.first, s.second.description);
-                printTable(std::cout, tbl);
-                throw Exit();
-            }},
         });
 
         addFlag({
@@ -154,33 +141,6 @@ struct NixArgs : virtual MultiCommand, virtual MixCommonArgs
         return pos;
     }
 
-    void printFlags(std::ostream & out) override
-    {
-        Args::printFlags(out);
-        std::cout <<
-            "\n"
-            "In addition, most configuration settings can be overriden using '--" ANSI_ITALIC "name value" ANSI_NORMAL "'.\n"
-            "Boolean settings can be overriden using '--" ANSI_ITALIC "name" ANSI_NORMAL "' or '--no-" ANSI_ITALIC "name" ANSI_NORMAL "'. See 'nix\n"
-            "--help-config' for a list of configuration settings.\n";
-    }
-
-    void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out) override
-    {
-        MultiCommand::printHelp(programName, out);
-
-#if 0
-        out << "\nFor full documentation, run 'man " << programName << "' or 'man " << programName << "-" ANSI_ITALIC "COMMAND" ANSI_NORMAL "'.\n";
-#endif
-
-        std::cout << "\nNote: this program is " ANSI_RED "EXPERIMENTAL" ANSI_NORMAL " and subject to change.\n";
-    }
-
-    void showHelpAndExit()
-    {
-        printHelp(programName, std::cout);
-        throw Exit();
-    }
-
     std::string description() override
     {
         return "a tool for reproducible and declarative configuration management";
@@ -298,6 +258,18 @@ void mainWrapped(int argc, char * * argv)
 
     try {
         args.parseCmdline(argvToStrings(argc, argv));
+    } catch (HelpRequested &) {
+        std::vector<std::string> subcommand;
+        MultiCommand * command = &args;
+        while (command) {
+            if (command && command->command) {
+                subcommand.push_back(command->command->first);
+                command = dynamic_cast<MultiCommand *>(&*command->command->second);
+            } else
+                break;
+        }
+        showHelp(subcommand);
+        return;
     } catch (UsageError &) {
         if (!completions) throw;
     }
@@ -306,7 +278,8 @@ void mainWrapped(int argc, char * * argv)
 
     initPlugins();
 
-    if (!args.command) args.showHelpAndExit();
+    if (!args.command)
+        throw UsageError("no subcommand specified");
 
     if (args.command->first != "repl"
         && args.command->first != "doctor"

src/nix/nar.cc

@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@ struct CmdNar : NixMultiCommand
         command->second->prepare();
         command->second->run();
     }
-
-    void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out) override
-    {
-        MultiCommand::printHelp(programName, out);
-    }
 };
 
 static auto rCmdNar = registerCommand<CmdNar>("nar");

src/nix/store.cc

@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ struct CmdStore : virtual NixMultiCommand
         command->second->prepare();
         command->second->run();
     }
-
-    void printHelp(const string & programName, std::ostream & out) override
-    {
-        MultiCommand::printHelp(programName, out);
-    }
 };
 
 static auto rCmdStore = registerCommand<CmdStore>("store");