feat: added usage message replacement feature (#786)

* fix: show newline before footer only if footer is set and not empty

* feat: added usage message replacement feature

* fix: tests corrected for new help message formatting

README.md

@@ -1062,6 +1062,10 @@ option_groups. These are:
 - `.prefix_command()`: Like `allow_extras`, but stop immediately on the first
   unrecognized item. It is ideal for allowing your app or subcommand to be a
   "prefix" to calling another app.
+- `.usage(message)`: Replace text to appear at the start of the help string
+  after description.
+- `.usage(std::string())`: Set a callback to generate a string that will appear
+  at the start of the help string after description.
 - `.footer(message)`: Set text to appear at the bottom of the help string.
 - `.footer(std::string())`: Set a callback to generate a string that will appear
   at the end of the help string.
@@ -1356,8 +1360,9 @@ multiple calls or using `|` operations with the transform.
 Many of the defaults for subcommands and even options are inherited from their
 creators. The inherited default values for subcommands are `allow_extras`,
 `prefix_command`, `ignore_case`, `ignore_underscore`, `fallthrough`, `group`,
-`footer`,`immediate_callback` and maximum number of required subcommands. The
-help flag existence, name, and description are inherited, as well.
+`usage`, `footer`, `immediate_callback` and maximum number of required
+subcommands. The help flag existence, name, and description are inherited, as
+well.
 
 Options have defaults for `group`, `required`, `multi_option_policy`,
 `ignore_case`, `ignore_underscore`, `delimiter`, and `disable_flag_override`. To

include/CLI/App.hpp

@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ class App {
     /// @name Help
     ///@{
 
+    /// Usage to put after program/subcommand description in the help output INHERITABLE
+    std::string usage_{};
+
+    /// This is a function that generates a usage to put after program/subcommand description in help output
+    std::function<std::string()> usage_callback_{};
+
     /// Footer to put after all options in the help output INHERITABLE
     std::string footer_{};
 
@@ -947,6 +953,16 @@ class App {
     /// @name Help
     ///@{
 
+    /// Set usage.
+    App *usage(std::string usage_string) {
+        usage_ = std::move(usage_string);
+        return this;
+    }
+    /// Set usage.
+    App *usage(std::function<std::string()> usage_function) {
+        usage_callback_ = std::move(usage_function);
+        return this;
+    }
     /// Set footer.
     App *footer(std::string footer_string) {
         footer_ = std::move(footer_string);
@@ -1055,6 +1071,11 @@ class App {
     /// Get the group of this subcommand
     CLI11_NODISCARD const std::string &get_group() const { return group_; }
 
+    /// Generate and return the usage.
+    CLI11_NODISCARD std::string get_usage() const {
+        return (usage_callback_) ? usage_callback_() + '\n' + usage_ : usage_;
+    }
+
     /// Generate and return the footer.
     CLI11_NODISCARD std::string get_footer() const {
         return (footer_callback_) ? footer_callback_() + '\n' + footer_ : footer_;

include/CLI/impl/App_inl.hpp

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ CLI11_INLINE App::App(std::string app_description, std::string app_name, App *pa
         configurable_ = parent_->configurable_;
         allow_windows_style_options_ = parent_->allow_windows_style_options_;
         group_ = parent_->group_;
+        usage_ = parent_->usage_;
         footer_ = parent_->footer_;
         formatter_ = parent_->formatter_;
         config_formatter_ = parent_->config_formatter_;

include/CLI/impl/Formatter_inl.hpp

@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ CLI11_INLINE std::string Formatter::make_description(const App *app) const {
 }
 
 CLI11_INLINE std::string Formatter::make_usage(const App *app, std::string name) const {
+    std::string usage = app->get_usage();
+    if(!usage.empty()) {
+        return usage + "\n";
+    }
+
     std::stringstream out;
 
     out << get_label("Usage") << ":" << (name.empty() ? "" : " ") << name;

tests/CreationTest.cpp

@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(TApp, "SubcommandDefaults", "[creation]") {
     CHECK(!app.get_configurable());
     CHECK(!app.get_validate_positionals());
 
+    CHECK(app.get_usage().empty());
     CHECK(app.get_footer().empty());
     CHECK("Subcommands" == app.get_group());
     CHECK(0u == app.get_require_subcommand_min());
@@ -474,6 +475,7 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(TApp, "SubcommandDefaults", "[creation]") {
 
     app.fallthrough();
     app.validate_positionals();
+    app.usage("ussy");
     app.footer("footy");
     app.group("Stuff");
     app.require_subcommand(2, 3);
@@ -494,6 +496,7 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(TApp, "SubcommandDefaults", "[creation]") {
     CHECK(app2->get_fallthrough());
     CHECK(app2->get_validate_positionals());
     CHECK(app2->get_configurable());
+    CHECK("ussy" == app2->get_usage());
     CHECK("footy" == app2->get_footer());
     CHECK("Stuff" == app2->get_group());
     CHECK(0u == app2->get_require_subcommand_min());

tests/HelpTest.cpp

@@ -26,6 +26,43 @@ TEST_CASE("THelp: Basic", "[help]") {
     CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("Usage:"));
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("THelp: Usage", "[help]") {
+    CLI::App app{"My prog"};
+    app.usage("use: just use it");
+
+    std::string help = app.help();
+
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("My prog"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("-h,--help"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("Options:"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("use: just use it"));
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("THelp: UsageCallback", "[help]") {
+    CLI::App app{"My prog"};
+    app.usage([]() { return "use: just use it"; });
+
+    std::string help = app.help();
+
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("My prog"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("-h,--help"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("Options:"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("use: just use it"));
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("THelp: UsageCallbackBoth", "[help]") {
+    CLI::App app{"My prog"};
+    app.usage([]() { return "use: just use it"; });
+    app.usage("like 1, 2, and 3");
+    std::string help = app.help();
+
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("My prog"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("-h,--help"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("Options:"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("use: just use it"));
+    CHECK_THAT(help, Contains("like 1, 2, and 3"));
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("THelp: Footer", "[help]") {
     CLI::App app{"My prog"};
     app.footer("Report bugs to bugs@example.com");