// Copyright (C) 2003  Davis E. King (davis@dlib.net)
// License: Boost Software License   See LICENSE.txt for the full license.
#ifndef DLIB_CMD_LINE_PARSER_OPTIOn_
#define DLIB_CMD_LINE_PARSER_OPTIOn_
#include <string>
namespace dlib
{
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    template <
        typename charT
        >
    class cmd_line_parser_option
    {
        /*!
            POINTERS AND REFERENCES TO INTERNAL DATA
                None of the functions in cmd_line_parser_option will invalidate
                pointers or references to internal data when called.
            WHAT THIS OBJECT REPRESENTS
                This object represents a command line option.  
        !*/
    public:
        typedef charT char_type;
        typedef std::basic_string<charT> string_type;
        virtual ~cmd_line_parser_option (
        ) = 0;
        virtual const string_type& name (
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns the name of this option
        !*/
        virtual const string_type& group_name (
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns the name of the group this option is in.  If no group was set for
                  this option then this function returns "".
        !*/
        virtual const string_type& description (
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns the description for this option
        !*/
        virtual unsigned long number_of_arguments( 
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns the number of arguments for this option
        !*/
        virtual unsigned long count(
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns the number of times this option appears on the command line.
        !*/
        virtual const string_type& argument (
            unsigned long arg = 0,
            unsigned long N = 0
        ) const = 0;
        /*!
            requires
                - arg < number_of_arguments()
                - N < count()
            ensures
                - returns the arg-th argument to the Nth occurrence of this 
                  option on the command line.
        !*/
        inline operator bool (
        ) const { return count() > 0; }
        /*!
            ensures
                - returns true if this option appears on the command line at all
        !*/
    protected:
        // restricted functions
        cmd_line_parser_option& operator=(const cmd_line_parser_option&){return *this;}
    };
    // destructor does nothing
    template < typename charT >
    cmd_line_parser_option<charT>::~cmd_line_parser_option() {}
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
}
#endif // DLIB_CMD_LINE_PARSER_OPTIOn_