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Library Integration

JLine can be integrated with various command-line parsing libraries to create powerful interactive applications. This guide explains how to integrate JLine with popular libraries like Spring Shell, Apache Commons CLI, JCommander, and picocli.

Spring Shell​

Spring Shell is a framework that provides a powerful infrastructure for building command-line applications using Spring. It uses JLine for its interactive shell capabilities.

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In a real Spring Shell application, you would define commands using Spring's component model and annotations, and Spring Shell would handle the integration with JLine automatically.

Apache Commons CLI​

Apache Commons CLI is a library for parsing command-line options. It can be integrated with JLine to create interactive command-line applications.

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This example shows how to integrate JLine with Commons CLI to create an interactive shell that parses commands using Commons CLI.

JCommander​

JCommander is a Java framework for parsing command-line parameters. It can be integrated with JLine to create interactive command-line applications.

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This example demonstrates how to integrate JLine with JCommander to create an interactive shell that parses commands using JCommander.

Picocli​

Picocli is a modern framework for building command-line applications. It has built-in support for JLine, making it easy to create interactive applications.

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This example shows how to integrate JLine with picocli to create an interactive shell that parses commands using picocli.

Best Practices​

When integrating JLine with command-line parsing libraries, keep these best practices in mind:

  1. Separation of Concerns: Keep the command parsing logic separate from the interactive shell logic.

  2. Error Handling: Provide clear error messages when command parsing fails.

  3. Help System: Implement a comprehensive help system that explains available commands and their options.

  4. Tab Completion: Configure tab completion to work with your command structure.

  5. History Management: Configure history to save and restore command history between sessions.

  6. Terminal Configuration: Configure the terminal to provide the best user experience for your application.

  7. Testing: Test your application with various command inputs to ensure it behaves as expected.

  8. Documentation: Document the available commands and their options for users.

By integrating JLine with a command-line parsing library, you can create powerful interactive applications that combine the rich input capabilities of JLine with the structured command parsing of the library.