Custom Conversion

How command-line values (always string) are converted into typed properties

Sample-Code / Sample-Project

The command-line is always text. Therefore an Option value is always of type string - the string as it was provided in the command-line.

A Command requires Parameters - a typed object - and in between type / value conversion takes place. CLarg comes with out-of-the-box support for the following Parameter property types:

• string

• bool

• int

• DateTime

• Enum

If you want to turn command-line arguments into other (user-defined) object types you have to provide your own converter. For example, the property type FileInfo requires your custom converter.

void Main(string[] args)
{
    var settings = new Settings();
    settings.ValueConverters.Register(typeof(FileInfo),
        // Custom Conversion: string to FileInfo
        (optionValue, optionName, errors, targetType) 
            => new FileInfo(optionValue));

    Commander.ExecuteCommand( args, settings));
}

...
[OptionDescriptor("DestType", Required = true)]
public FileTypes FileTypes { get; set; }    // requires custom converter