Git is an example of several common subcommand patterns.
Help:
$ git
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A fictional versioning CLI
Usage: git[EXE] <COMMAND>
Commands:
clone Clones repos
diff Compare two commits
push pushes things
add adds things
stash
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Options:
-h, --help Print help
$ git help
A fictional versioning CLI
Usage: git[EXE] <COMMAND>
Commands:
clone Clones repos
diff Compare two commits
push pushes things
add adds things
stash
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Options:
-h, --help Print help
$ git help add
adds things
Usage: git[EXE] add <PATH>...
Arguments:
<PATH>... Stuff to add
Options:
-h, --help Print help
A basic argument:
$ git add
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adds things
Usage: git[EXE] add <PATH>...
Arguments:
<PATH>... Stuff to add
Options:
-h, --help Print help
$ git add Cargo.toml Cargo.lock
Adding ["Cargo.toml", "Cargo.lock"]
Default subcommand:
$ git stash -h
Usage: git[EXE] stash [OPTIONS]
git[EXE] stash push [OPTIONS]
git[EXE] stash pop [STASH]
git[EXE] stash apply [STASH]
git[EXE] stash help [COMMAND]...
Options:
-m, --message <MESSAGE>
-h, --help Print help
git[EXE] stash push:
-m, --message <MESSAGE>
-h, --help Print help
git[EXE] stash pop:
-h, --help Print help
[STASH]
git[EXE] stash apply:
-h, --help Print help
[STASH]
git[EXE] stash help:
Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
[COMMAND]... Print help for the subcommand(s)
$ git stash push -h
Usage: git[EXE] stash push [OPTIONS]
Options:
-m, --message <MESSAGE>
-h, --help Print help
$ git stash pop -h
Usage: git[EXE] stash pop [STASH]
Arguments:
[STASH]
Options:
-h, --help Print help
$ git stash -m "Prototype"
Pushing Some("Prototype")
$ git stash pop
Popping None
$ git stash push -m "Prototype"
Pushing Some("Prototype")
$ git stash pop
Popping None
External subcommands:
$ git custom-tool arg1 --foo bar
Calling out to "custom-tool" with ["arg1", "--foo", "bar"]
Last argument:
$ git diff --help
Compare two commits
Usage: git[EXE] diff [OPTIONS] [COMMIT] [COMMIT] [-- <PATH>]
Arguments:
[COMMIT]
[COMMIT]
[PATH]
Options:
--color[=<WHEN>] [default: auto] [possible values: always, auto, never]
-h, --help Print help
$ git diff
Diffing stage..worktree (color=auto)
$ git diff ./src
Diffing stage..worktree ./src (color=auto)
$ git diff HEAD ./src
Diffing HEAD..worktree ./src (color=auto)
$ git diff HEAD~~ -- HEAD
Diffing HEAD~~..worktree HEAD (color=auto)
$ git diff --color
Diffing stage..worktree (color=always)
$ git diff --color=never
Diffing stage..worktree (color=never)