Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning. (Format adopted after v3.0.0.)

5.1.0 (2020-04-25)

Added

• support for multiple command aliases, the first of which is shown in the auto-generated help (#531, #1236)
• configuration support in addCommand() for hidden and isDefault (#1232)

Fixed

• omit masked help flags from the displayed help (#645, #1247)
• remove old short help flag when change help flags using helpOption (#1248)

Changed

• remove use of arguments to improve auto-generated help in editors (#1235)
• rename .command() configuration noHelp to hidden (but not remove old support) (#1232)
• improvements to documentation
• update dependencies
• update tested versions of node
• eliminate lint errors in TypeScript (#1208)

5.0.0 (2020-03-14)

Added

• support for nested commands with action-handlers (#1 #764 #1149)
• .addCommand() for adding a separately configured command (#764 #1149)
• allow a non-executable to be set as the default command (#742 #1149)
• implicit help command when there are subcommands (previously only if executables) (#1149)
• customise implicit help command with .addHelpCommand() (#1149)
• display error message for unknown subcommand, by default (#432 #1088 #1149)
• display help for missing subcommand, by default (#1088 #1149)
• combined short options as single argument may include boolean flags and value flag and value (e.g. -a -b -p 80 can be written as -abp80) (#1145)
• .parseOption() includes short flag and long flag expansions (#1145)
• .helpInformation() returns help text as a string, previously a private routine (#1169)
• .parse() implicitly uses process.argv if arguments not specified (#1172)
• optionally specify where .parse() arguments "from", if not following node conventions (#512 #1172)
• suggest help option along with unknown command error (#1179)
• TypeScript definition for commands property of Command (#1184)
• export program property (#1195)
• createCommand factory method to simplify subclassing (#1191)

Fixed

• preserve argument order in subcommands (#508 #962 #1138)
• do not emit command:* for executable subcommands (#809 #1149)
• action handler called whether or not there are non-option arguments (#1062 #1149)
• combining option short flag and value in single argument now works for subcommands (#1145)
• only add implicit help command when it will not conflict with other uses of argument (#1153 #1149)
• implicit help command works with command aliases (#948 #1149)
• options are validated whether or not there is an action handler (#1149)

Changed

• Breaking .args contains command arguments with just recognised options removed (#1032 #1138)
• Breaking display error if required argument for command is missing (#995 #1149)
• tighten TypeScript definition of custom option processing function passed to .option() (#1119)
• Breaking .allowUnknownOption() (#802 #1138)
  • unknown options included in arguments passed to command action handler
  • unknown options included in .args
• only recognised option short flags and long flags are expanded (e.g. -ab or --foo=bar) (#1145)
• Breaking .parseOptions() (#1138)
  • args in returned result renamed operands and does not include anything after first unknown option
  • unknown in returned result has arguments after first unknown option including operands, not just options and values
• Breaking .on('command:*', callback) and other command events passed (changed) results from .parseOptions, i.e. operands and unknown (#1138)
• refactor Option from prototype to class (#1133)
• refactor Command from prototype to class (#1159)
• changes to error handling (#1165)
  • throw for author error, not just display message
  • preflight for variadic error
  • add tips to missing subcommand executable
• TypeScript fluent return types changed to be more subclass friendly, return this rather than Command (#1180)
• .parseAsync returns Promise<this> to be consistent with .parse() (#1180)
• update dependencies

Removed

• removed EventEmitter from TypeScript definition for Command, eliminating implicit peer dependency on @types/node (#1146)
• removed private function normalize (the functionality has been integrated into parseOptions) (#1145)
• parseExpectedArgs is now private (#1149)

Migration Tips

If you use .on('command:*') or more complicated tests to detect an unrecognised subcommand, you may be able to delete the code and rely on the default behaviour.

If you use program.args or more complicated tests to detect a missing subcommand, you may be able to delete the code and rely on the default behaviour.

If you use .command('*') to add a default command, you may be be able to switch to isDefault:true with a named command.

5.0.0-4 (2020-03-03)

(Released in 5.0.0)

5.0.0-3 (2020-02-20)

(Released in 5.0.0)

5.0.0-2 (2020-02-10)

(Released in 5.0.0)

5.0.0-1 (2020-02-08)

(Released in 5.0.0)

5.0.0-0 (2020-02-02)

(Released in 5.0.0)

4.1.1 (2020-02-02)

Fixed

• TypeScript definition for .action() should include Promise for async (#1157)

4.1.0 (2020-01-06)

Added

• two routines to change how option values are handled, and eliminate name clashes with command properties ([#933] #1102)
  • see storeOptionsAsProperties and passCommandToAction in README
• .parseAsync to use instead of .parse if supply async action handlers (#806 #1118)

Fixed

• Remove trailing blanks from wrapped help text (#1096)

Changed

• update dependencies
• extend security coverage for Commander 2.x to 2020-02-03
• improvements to README
• improvements to TypeScript definition documentation
• move old versions out of main CHANGELOG
• removed explicit use of ts-node in tests

4.0.1 (2019-11-12)

Fixed

• display help when requested, even if there are missing required options (#1091)

4.0.0 (2019-11-02)

Added

• automatically wrap and indent help descriptions for options and commands (#1051)
• .exitOverride() allows override of calls to process.exit for additional error handling and to keep program running (#1040)
• support for declaring required options with .requiredOptions() (#1071)
• GitHub Actions support (#1027)
• translation links in README

Changed

• dev: switch tests from Sinon+Should to Jest with major rewrite of tests (#1035)
• call default subcommand even when there are unknown options (#1047)
• Breaking Commander is only officially supported on Node 8 and above, and requires Node 6 (#1053)

Fixed

• Breaking keep command object out of program.args when action handler called (#1048)
  • also, action handler now passed array of unknown arguments
• complain about unknown options when program argument supplied and action handler (#1049)
  • this changes parameters to command:* event to include unknown arguments
• removed deprecated customFds option from call to child_process.spawn (#1052)
• rework TypeScript declarations to bring all types into imported namespace (#1081)

Migration Tips

Testing for no arguments

If you were previously using code like:

if (!program.args.length) ...

a partial replacement is:

if (program.rawArgs.length < 3) ...

4.0.0-1 Prerelease (2019-10-08)

(Released in 4.0.0)

4.0.0-0 Prerelease (2019-10-01)

(Released in 4.0.0)

2.20.1 (2019-09-29)

Fixed

• Improve tracking of executable subcommands.

Changed

• update development dependencies

3.0.2 (2019-09-27)

Fixed

• Improve tracking of executable subcommands.

Changed

• update development dependencies

3.0.1 (2019-08-30)

Added

• .name and .usage to README (#1010)
• Table of Contents to README (#1010)
• TypeScript definition for executableFile in CommandOptions (#1028)

Changed

• consistently use const rather than var in README (#1026)

Fixed

• help for sub commands with custom executableFile (#1018)

3.0.0 / 2019-08-08

• Add option to specify executable file name (#999)
  • e.g. .command('clone', 'clone description', { executableFile: 'myClone' })
• Change docs for .command to contrast action handler vs git-style executable. (#938 #990)
• Breaking Change TypeScript to use overloaded function for .command. (#938 #990)
• Change to use straight quotes around strings in error messages (like 'this' instead of `this') (#915)
• Add TypeScript "reference types" for node (#974)
• Add support for hyphen as an option argument in subcommands (#697)
• Add support for a short option flag and its value to be concatenated for action handler subcommands (#599)
  • e.g. -p 80 can also be supplied as -p80
• Add executable arguments to spawn in win32, for git-style executables (#611)
  • e.g. node --harmony myCommand.js clone
• Add parent command as prefix of subcommand in help (#980)
• Add optional custom description to .version (#963)
  • e.g. program.version('0.0.1', '-v, --vers', 'output the current version')
• Add .helpOption(flags, description) routine to customise help flags and description (#963)
  • e.g. .helpOption('-e, --HELP', 'read more information')
• Fix behavior of --no-* options (#795)
  • can now define both --foo and --no-foo
  • Breaking custom event listeners: --no-foo on cli now emits option:no-foo (previously option:foo)
  • Breaking default value: defining --no-foo after defining --foo leaves the default value unchanged (previously set it to false)
  • allow boolean default value, such as from environment (#987)
• Increment inspector port for spawned subcommands (#991)
  • e.g. node --inspect myCommand.js clone

Migration Tips

The custom event for a negated option like --no-foo is option:no-foo (previously option:foo).

program
  .option('--no-foo')
  .on('option:no-foo', () => {
    console.log('removing foo');
  });

When using TypeScript, adding a command does not allow an explicit undefined for an unwanted executable description (e.g for a command with an action handler).

program
  .command('action1', undefined, { noHelp: true }) // No longer valid
  .command('action2', { noHelp: true }) // Correct

3.0.0-0 Prerelease / 2019-07-28

(Released as 3.0.0)

Older versions

• 2.x
• 1.x
• 0.x