Improve --help to mention all the command options

jqlang · nicowilliams · Jul 23, 2023 · Jul 22, 2023 · Jul 23, 2023 · 85b3c69bbd5d016bd77ef4b6288b52f74300e74c
commit 85b3c69bbd5d016bd77ef4b6288b52f74300e74c
diff --git a/docs/content/manual/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ sections:
  You can affect how jq reads and writes its input and output
  using some command-line options:
 
- * `--version`:
+ * `--version`/`-V`:
 
  Output the jq version and exit with zero.
 

diff --git a/docs/content/manual/v1.4/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/v1.4/manual.yml
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ sections:
  You can affect how jq reads and writes its input and output
  using some command-line options:
 
- * `--version`:
+ * `--version`/`-V`:
 
  Output the jq version and exit with zero.
 

diff --git a/docs/content/manual/v1.5/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/v1.5/manual.yml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ sections:
  You can affect how jq reads and writes its input and output
  using some command-line options:
 
- * `--version`:
+ * `--version`/`-V`:
 
  Output the jq version and exit with zero.
 

diff --git a/docs/content/manual/v1.6/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/v1.6/manual.yml
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ sections:
  You can affect how jq reads and writes its input and output
  using some command-line options:
 
- * `--version`:
+ * `--version`/`-V`:
 
  Output the jq version and exit with zero.
 

diff --git a/jq.1.prebuilt b/jq.1.prebuilt
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
@@ -57,40 +57,50 @@ static void usage(int code, int keep_it_short) {
  "its JSON text inputs and producing the filter's results as JSON on\n"
  "standard output.\n\n"
  "The simplest filter is ., which copies jq's input to its output\n"
- "unmodified (except for formatting, but note that IEEE754 is used\n"
- "for number representation internally, with all that that implies).\n\n"
- "For more advanced filters see the jq(1) manpage (\"man jq\")\n"
- "and/or https://jqlang.github.io/jq\n\n"
- "Example:\n\n\t$ echo '{\"foo\": 0}' | jq .\n"
- "\t{\n\t\t\"foo\": 0\n\t}\n\n",
+ "unmodified except for formatting. For more advanced filters see\n"
+ "the jq(1) manpage (\"man jq\") and/or https://jqlang.github.io/jq/.\n\n"
+ "Example:\n\n\t $ echo '{\"foo\": 0}' | jq .\n"
+ "\t{\n\t \"foo\": 0\n\t}\n\n",
  JQ_VERSION, progname, progname, progname);
  if (keep_it_short) {
  fprintf(f,
- "For a listing of options, use %s --help.\n",
+ "For listing the command options, use %s --help.\n",
  progname);
  } else {
  (void) fprintf(f,
- "Some of the options include:\n"
- " -c compact instead of pretty-printed output;\n"
- " -n use `null` as the single input value;\n"
- " -e set the exit status code based on the output;\n"
- " -s read (slurp) all inputs into an array; apply filter to it;\n"
- " -r output raw strings, not JSON texts;\n"
- " -R read raw strings, not JSON texts;\n"
- " -C colorize JSON;\n"
- " -M monochrome (don't colorize JSON);\n"
- " -S sort keys of objects on output;\n"
- " --tab use tabs for indentation;\n"
- " --arg a v set variable $a to value <v>;\n"
- " --argjson a v set variable $a to JSON value <v>;\n"
- " --slurpfile a f set variable $a to an array of JSON texts read from <f>;\n"
- " --rawfile a f set variable $a to a string consisting of the contents of <f>;\n"
- " --args remaining arguments are string arguments, not files;\n"
- " --jsonargs remaining arguments are JSON arguments, not files;\n"
- " -- terminates argument processing;\n\n"
+ "Command options:\n"
+ " -n, --null-input use `null` as the single input value;\n"
+ " -R, --raw-input read each line as strings, not parsing as JSON;\n"
+ " -s, --slurp read all inputs into an array and use it as the single input value;\n"
+ " -c, --compact-output compact instead of pretty-printed output;\n"
+ " -r, --raw-output output strings directly without escapes and quotes;\n"
+ " -j, --join-output implies -r and output without newline after each output;\n"
+ " -0, --nul-output implies -r and output NUL after each output;\n"
+ " -a, --ascii-output output strings by only ASCII characters using escape sequences;\n"
+ " -S, --sort-keys sort keys of each object on output;\n"
+ " -C, --color-output colorize JSON output;\n"
+ " -M, --monochrome-output disable colored output;\n"
+ " --tab use tabs for indentation;\n"
+ " --indent n use the given number of spaces (no more than 7) for indentation;\n"
+ " --stream parse the input value in streaming fashion;\n"
+ " --stream-errors implies --stream and report JSON parse error with an array;\n"
+ " --unbuffered flush output stream after each output;\n"
+ " --seq parse input and output in application/json-seq MIME type scheme;\n"
+ " -f, --from-file file load filter from the file;\n"
+ " -L directory search modules from the directory;\n"
+ " --arg name value set variable $name to the string value;\n"
+ " --argjson name value set variable $name to the JSON value;\n"
+ " --slurpfile name file set variable $name to an array of JSON values read from the file;\n"
+ " --rawfile name file set variable $name to a string consisting of the contents of the file;\n"
+ " --args consume remaining arguments as positional string values;\n"
+ " --jsonargs consume remaining arguments as positional JSON values;\n"
+ " -e, --exit-status set the exit status code based on the output;\n"
+ " -b, --binary open input and output streams in binary mode on Windows;\n"
+ " -V, --version show the version;\n"
+ " -h, --help show the help;\n"
+ " -- terminates argument processing;\n\n"
  "Named arguments are also available as $ARGS.named[], while\n"
- "positional arguments are available as $ARGS.positional[].\n"
- "\nSee the manpage for more options.\n");
+ "positional arguments are available as $ARGS.positional[].\n");
  }
  exit((ret < 0 && code == 0) ? 2 : code);
 }