Refactor TakesArgs to use an interface for arg validation.

Fix some typos in README and comments.
Move arg validation to after flag validation so that the help flag is run first.
Pass the same args to ValidateArgs as the Run methods receive.
Update README.

Signed-off-by: Daniel Nephin <dnephin@gmail.com>

README.md

@@ -467,36 +467,34 @@ A flag can also be assigned locally which will only apply to that specific comma
 RootCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&Source, "source", "s", "", "Source directory to read from")
 ```
 
-### Specify if you command takes arguments
+## Positional and Custom Arguments
 
-There are multiple options for how a command can handle unknown arguments which can be set in `TakesArgs`
+Validation of positional arguments can be specified using the `Args` field.
-- `Legacy`
-- `None`
-- `Arbitrary`
-- `ValidOnly`
 
-`Legacy` (or default) the rules are as follows:
+The follow validators are built in:
-- root commands with no subcommands can take arbitrary arguments
-- root commands with subcommands will do subcommand validity checking
-- subcommands will always accept arbitrary arguments and do no subsubcommand validity checking
 
-`None` the command will be rejected if there are any left over arguments after parsing flags.
+- `NoArgs` - the command will report an error if there are any positional args.
+- `ArbitraryArgs` - the command will accept any args.
+- `OnlyValidArgs` - the command will report an error if there are any positional args that are not in the ValidArgs list.
+- `MinimumNArgs(int)` - the command will report an error if there are not at least N positional args.
+- `MaximumNArgs(int)` - the command will report an error if there are more than N positional args.
+- `ExactArgs(int)` - the command will report an error if there are not exactly N positional args.
+- `RangeArgs(min, max)` - the command will report an error if the number of args is not between the minimum and maximum number of expected args.
 
-`Arbitrary` any additional values left after parsing flags will be passed in to your `Run` function.
+A custom validator can be provided like this:
-
-`ValidOnly` you must define all valid (non-subcommand) arguments to your command. These are defined in a slice name ValidArgs. For example a command which only takes the argument "one" or "two" would be defined as:
 
 ```go
-var HugoCmd = &cobra.Command{
+
-        Use:   "hugo",
+Args: func validColorArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-        Short: "Hugo is a very fast static site generator",
+  if err := cli.RequiresMinArgs(1)(cmd, args); err != nil {
-	ValidArgs: []string{"one", "two", "three", "four"}
+    return err
-	TakesArgs: cobra.ValidOnly
-        Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-            // args will only have the values one, two, three, four
-	    // or the cmd.Execute() will fail.
-        },
   }
+  if myapp.IsValidColor(args[0]) {
+     return nil
+  }
+  return fmt.Errorf("Invalid color specified: %s", args[0])
+}
+
 ```
 
 ### Bind Flags with Config
@@ -517,6 +515,7 @@ when the `--author` flag is not provided by user.
 
 More in [viper documentation](https://github.com/spf13/viper#working-with-flags).
 
+
 ## Example
 
 In the example below, we have defined three commands. Two are at the top level

args.go

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+package cobra
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+type PositionalArgs func(cmd *Command, args []string) error
+
+// Legacy arg validation has the following behaviour:
+// - root commands with no subcommands can take arbitrary arguments
+// - root commands with subcommands will do subcommand validity checking
+// - subcommands will always accept arbitrary arguments
+func legacyArgs(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+	// no subcommand, always take args
+	if !cmd.HasSubCommands() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// root command with subcommands, do subcommand checking
+	if !cmd.HasParent() && len(args) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown command %q for %q%s", args[0], cmd.CommandPath(), cmd.findSuggestions(args[0]))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// NoArgs returns an error if any args are included
+func NoArgs(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown command %q for %q", args[0], cmd.CommandPath())
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// OnlyValidArgs returns an error if any args are not in the list of ValidArgs
+func OnlyValidArgs(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(cmd.ValidArgs) > 0 {
+		for _, v := range args {
+			if !stringInSlice(v, cmd.ValidArgs) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid argument %q for %q%s", v, cmd.CommandPath(), cmd.findSuggestions(args[0]))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func stringInSlice(a string, list []string) bool {
+	for _, b := range list {
+		if b == a {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// ArbitraryArgs never returns an error
+func ArbitraryArgs(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+// MinimumNArgs returns an error if there is not at least N args
+func MinimumNArgs(n int) PositionalArgs {
+	return func(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+		if len(args) < n {
+			return fmt.Errorf("requires at least %d arg(s), only received %d", n, len(args))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+// MaximumNArgs returns an error if there are more than N args
+func MaximumNArgs(n int) PositionalArgs {
+	return func(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+		if len(args) > n {
+			return fmt.Errorf("accepts at most %d arg(s), received %d", n, len(args))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+// ExactArgs returns an error if there are not exactly n args
+func ExactArgs(n int) PositionalArgs {
+	return func(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+		if len(args) != n {
+			return fmt.Errorf("accepts %d arg(s), received %d", n, len(args))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+// RangeArgs returns an error if the number of args is not within the expected range
+func RangeArgs(min int, max int) PositionalArgs {
+	return func(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
+		if len(args) < min || len(args) > max {
+			return fmt.Errorf("accepts between %d and %d arg(s), received %d", min, max, len(args))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}

cobra_test.go

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ var cmdHidden = &Command{
 
 var cmdPrint = &Command{
 	Use:   "print [string to print]",
+	Args:  MinimumNArgs(1),
 	Short: "Print anything to the screen",
 	Long:  `an absolutely utterly useless command for testing.`,
 	Run: func(cmd *Command, args []string) {
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ var cmdDeprecated = &Command{
 	Deprecated: "Please use echo instead",
 	Run: func(cmd *Command, args []string) {
 	},
-	TakesArgs: None,
+	Args: NoArgs,
 }
 
 var cmdTimes = &Command{
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ var cmdTimes = &Command{
 	Run: func(cmd *Command, args []string) {
 		tt = args
 	},
-	TakesArgs: ValidOnly,
+	Args:      OnlyValidArgs,
 	ValidArgs: []string{"one", "two", "three", "four"},
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +107,6 @@ var cmdRootSameName = &Command{
 	Use:   "print",
 	Short: "Root with the same name as a subcommand",
 	Long:  "The root description for help",
-	TakesArgs: None,
 }
 
 var cmdRootTakesArgs = &Command{
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ var cmdRootTakesArgs = &Command{
 	Run: func(cmd *Command, args []string) {
 		tr = args
 	},
-	TakesArgs: Arbitrary,
+	Args: ArbitraryArgs,
 }
 
 var cmdRootWithRun = &Command{
@@ -477,6 +477,10 @@ func TestRootTakesNoArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	c.AddCommand(cmdPrint, cmdEcho)
 	result := simpleTester(c, "illegal")
 
+	if result.Error == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected an error")
+	}
+
 	expectedError := `unknown command "illegal" for "print"`
 	if !strings.Contains(result.Error.Error(), expectedError) {
 		t.Errorf("exptected %v, got %v", expectedError, result.Error.Error())
@@ -493,7 +497,11 @@ func TestRootTakesArgs(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSubCmdTakesNoArgs(t *testing.T) {
-	result := fullSetupTest("deprecated illegal")
+	result := fullSetupTest("deprecated", "illegal")
+
+	if result.Error == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected an error")
+	}
 
 	expectedError := `unknown command "illegal" for "cobra-test deprecated"`
 	if !strings.Contains(result.Error.Error(), expectedError) {
@@ -502,14 +510,18 @@ func TestSubCmdTakesNoArgs(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSubCmdTakesArgs(t *testing.T) {
-	noRRSetupTest("echo times one two")
+	noRRSetupTest("echo", "times", "one", "two")
 	if strings.Join(tt, " ") != "one two" {
 		t.Error("Command didn't parse correctly")
 	}
 }
 
 func TestCmdOnlyValidArgs(t *testing.T) {
-	result := noRRSetupTest("echo times one two five")
+	result := noRRSetupTest("echo", "times", "one", "two", "five")
+
+	if result.Error == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected an error")
+	}
 
 	expectedError := `invalid argument "five"`
 	if !strings.Contains(result.Error.Error(), expectedError) {

command.go

@@ -27,15 +27,6 @@ import (
 	flag "github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
-type Args int
-
-const (
-	Legacy Args = iota
-	Arbitrary
-	ValidOnly
-	None
-)
-
 // Command is just that, a command for your application.
 // E.g.  'go run ...' - 'run' is the command. Cobra requires
 // you to define the usage and description as part of your command
@@ -68,8 +59,8 @@ type Command struct {
 	// but accepted if entered manually.
 	ArgAliases []string
 
-	// Does this command take arbitrary arguments
+	// Expected arguments
-	TakesArgs Args
+	Args PositionalArgs
 	// BashCompletionFunction is custom functions used by the bash autocompletion generator.
 	BashCompletionFunction string
 
@@ -483,15 +474,6 @@ func argsMinusFirstX(args []string, x string) []string {
 	return args
 }
 
-func stringInSlice(a string, list []string) bool {
-	for _, b := range list {
-		if b == a {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 // Find the target command given the args and command tree
 // Meant to be run on the highest node. Only searches down.
 func (c *Command) Find(args []string) (*Command, []string, error) {
@@ -533,39 +515,13 @@ func (c *Command) Find(args []string) (*Command, []string, error) {
 	}
 
 	commandFound, a := innerfind(c, args)
-	argsWOflags := stripFlags(a, commandFound)
+	if commandFound.Args == nil {
-
+		return commandFound, a, legacyArgs(commandFound, stripFlags(a, commandFound))
-	// "Legacy" has some 'odd' characteristics.
-	// - root commands with no subcommands can take arbitrary arguments
-	// - root commands with subcommands will do subcommand validity checking
-	// - subcommands will always accept arbitrary arguments
-	if commandFound.TakesArgs == Legacy {
-		// no subcommand, always take args
-		if !commandFound.HasSubCommands() {
-			return commandFound, a, nil
-		}
-		// root command with subcommands, do subcommand checking
-		if commandFound == c && len(argsWOflags) > 0 {
-			return commandFound, a, fmt.Errorf("unknown command %q for %q%s", argsWOflags[0], commandFound.CommandPath(), c.findSuggestions(argsWOflags))
 	}
 	return commandFound, a, nil
 }
 
-	if commandFound.TakesArgs == None && len(argsWOflags) > 0 {
+func (c *Command) findSuggestions(arg string) string {
-		return commandFound, a, fmt.Errorf("unknown command %q for %q", argsWOflags[0], commandFound.CommandPath())
-	}
-
-	if commandFound.TakesArgs == ValidOnly && len(commandFound.ValidArgs) > 0 {
-		for _, v := range argsWOflags {
-			if !stringInSlice(v, commandFound.ValidArgs) {
-				return commandFound, a, fmt.Errorf("invalid argument %q for %q%s", v, commandFound.CommandPath(), c.findSuggestions(argsWOflags))
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return commandFound, a, nil
-}
-
-func (c *Command) findSuggestions(argsWOflags []string) string {
 	if c.DisableSuggestions {
 		return ""
 	}
@@ -573,7 +529,7 @@ func (c *Command) findSuggestions(argsWOflags []string) string {
 		c.SuggestionsMinimumDistance = 2
 	}
 	suggestionsString := ""
-	if suggestions := c.SuggestionsFor(argsWOflags[0]); len(suggestions) > 0 {
+	if suggestions := c.SuggestionsFor(arg); len(suggestions) > 0 {
 		suggestionsString += "\n\nDid you mean this?\n"
 		for _, s := range suggestions {
 			suggestionsString += fmt.Sprintf("\t%v\n", s)
@@ -666,6 +622,10 @@ func (c *Command) execute(a []string) (err error) {
 		argWoFlags = a
 	}
 
+	if err := c.ValidateArgs(argWoFlags); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	for p := c; p != nil; p = p.Parent() {
 		if p.PersistentPreRunE != nil {
 			if err := p.PersistentPreRunE(c, argWoFlags); err != nil {
@@ -789,6 +749,13 @@ func (c *Command) ExecuteC() (cmd *Command, err error) {
 	return cmd, err
 }
 
+func (c *Command) ValidateArgs(args []string) error {
+	if c.Args == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return c.Args(c, args)
+}
+
 // InitDefaultHelpFlag adds default help flag to c.
 // It is called automatically by executing the c or by calling help and usage.
 // If c already has help flag, it will do nothing.