Provide a cleaner help output which would make it easier to use
- Dominant language
- C#
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- 11.5k
- Forks
- 960
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Description
Please update the help responses to be context sensitive and remove currently displayed info that is irrelevant. The information supplied is overwhelming to most, it would not be so overwhelming if it only showed information relevant to the current help request.
The bold info below is an example of what I believe to be irrelevant, but maybe I'm wrong and there are edge use cases.
e.g.:
> C:\>clist -help
> Chocolatey v0.10.13
> List/Search Command
>
> Chocolatey will perform a search for a package local or remote. Some
> may prefer to use `clist` as a shortcut for `choco list`.
>
> NOTE: 100% compatible with older Chocolatey client (0.9.8.x and below)
> with options and switches. In most cases you can still pass options
> and switches with one dash (`-`). For more details, see
> the command reference (`choco -?`).
>
> Usage
>
> choco search []
> choco list []
> clist []
>
> Examples
>
> choco list --local-only
> choco list -li
> choco list -lai
> choco list --page=0 --page-size=25
> choco search git
> choco search git --source="'https://somewhere/out/there'"
> choco search bob -s "'https://somewhere/protected'" -u user -p pass
>
> NOTE: See scripting in the command reference (`choco -?`) for how to
> write proper scripts and integrations.
>
>
> Exit Codes
>
> Exit codes that normally result from running this command.
>
> Normal:
> - 0: operation was successful, no issues detected
> - -1 or 1: an error has occurred
>
> Enhanced:
> - 0: operation was successful, no issues detected
> - -1 or 1: an error has occurred
> - 2: no results (enhanced)
>
> NOTE: Starting in v0.10.12, if you have the feature 'useEnhancedExitCodes'
> turned on, then choco will provide enhanced exit codes that allow
> better integration and scripting.
>
> If you find other exit codes that we have not yet documented, please
> file a ticket so we can document it at
> https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/issues/new/choose.
>
>
> See It In Action
>
> choco search: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wiki/chocolatey/choco/images/gifs/choco_search.gif
>
>
> Alternative Sources
>
> Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> WebPI
> This specifies the source is Web PI (Web Platform Installer) and that
> we are searching for a WebPI product, such as IISExpress. If you do
> not have the Web PI command line installed, it will install that first
> and then perform the search requested.
> e.g. `choco list --source webpi`
>
> Windows Features
> This specifies that the source is a Windows Feature and we should
> install via the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM)
> on the local machine.
> e.g. `choco list --source windowsfeatures`
>
> Options and Switches
>
> -?, --help, -h
> Prints out the help menu.
>
> -d, --debug
> Debug - Show debug messaging.
>
> -v, --verbose
> Verbose - Show verbose messaging. Very verbose messaging, avoid using
> under normal circumstances.
>
> --trace
> Trace - Show trace messaging. Very, very verbose trace messaging. Avoid
> except when needing super low-level .NET Framework debugging. Available
> in 0.10.4+.
>
> --nocolor, --no-color
> No Color - Do not show colorization in logging output. This overrides
> the feature 'logWithoutColor', set to 'False'. Available in 0.10.9+.
>
> ** --acceptlicense, --accept-license
> AcceptLicense - Accept license dialogs automatically. Reserved for
> future use.**
>
> **-y, --yes, --confirm
> Confirm all prompts - Chooses affirmative answer instead of prompting.
> Implies --accept-license**
>
> **-f, --force
> Force - force the behavior. Do not use force during normal operation -
> it subverts some of the smart behavior for commands.**
>
> ** --noop, --whatif, --what-if
> NoOp / WhatIf - Don't actually do anything.**
>
> -r, --limitoutput, --limit-output
> LimitOutput - Limit the output to essential information
>
> --timeout, --execution-timeout=VALUE
> CommandExecutionTimeout (in seconds) - The time to allow a command to
> finish before timing out. Overrides the default execution timeout in the
> configuration of 2700 seconds. '0' for infinite starting in 0.10.4.
>
> **-c, --cache, --cachelocation, --cache-location=VALUE
> CacheLocation - Location for download cache, defaults to %TEMP% or value
> in chocolatey.config file.**
>
> --allowunofficial, --allow-unofficial, --allowunofficialbuild, --allow-unofficial-build
> AllowUnofficialBuild - When not using the official build you must set
> this flag for choco to continue.
>
> --failstderr, --failonstderr, --fail-on-stderr, --fail-on-standard-error, --fail-on-error-output
> FailOnStandardError - Fail on standard error output (stderr), typically
> received when running external commands during install providers. This
> overrides the feature failOnStandardError.
>
> **--use-system-powershell
> UseSystemPowerShell - Execute PowerShell using an external process
> instead of the built-in PowerShell host. Should only be used when
> internal host is failing. Available in 0.9.10+.**
>
> **--no-progress
> Do Not Show Progress - Do not show download progress percentages.
> Available in 0.10.4+.**
>
> --proxy=VALUE
> Proxy Location - Explicit proxy location. Overrides the default proxy
> location of ''. Available for config settings in 0.9.9.9+, this CLI
> option available in 0.10.4+.
>
> --proxy-user=VALUE
> Proxy User Name - Explicit proxy user (optional). Requires explicity
> proxy (`--proxy` or config setting). Overrides the default proxy user of
> ''. Available for config settings in 0.9.9.9+, this CLI option available
> in 0.10.4+.
>
> --proxy-password=VALUE
> Proxy Password - Explicit proxy password (optional) to be used with
> username. Requires explicity proxy (`--proxy` or config setting) and
> user name. Overrides the default proxy password (encrypted in settings
> if set). Available for config settings in 0.9.9.9+, this CLI option
> available in 0.10.4+.
>
> --proxy-bypass-list=VALUE
> ProxyBypassList - Comma separated list of regex locations to bypass on
> proxy. Requires explicity proxy (`--proxy` or config setting). Overrides
> the default proxy bypass list of ''. Available in 0.10.4+.
>
> --proxy-bypass-on-local
> Proxy Bypass On Local - Bypass proxy for local connections. Requires
> explicity proxy (`--proxy` or config setting). Overrides the default
> proxy bypass on local setting of 'True'. Available in 0.10.4+.
>
> --log-file=VALUE
> Log File to output to in addition to regular loggers. Available in 0.1-
> 0.8+.
>
> -s, --source=VALUE
> Source - Source location for install. Can use special 'webpi' or
> 'windowsfeatures' sources. Defaults to sources.
>
> -l, --lo, --localonly, --local-only
> LocalOnly - Only search against local machine items.
>
> --idonly, --id-only
> Id Only - Only return Package Ids in the list results. Available in 0.1-
> 0.6+.
>
> --pre, --prerelease
> Prerelease - Include Prereleases? Defaults to false.
>
> -i, --includeprograms, --include-programs
> IncludePrograms - Used in conjunction with LocalOnly, filters out apps
> chocolatey has listed as packages and includes those in the list.
> Defaults to false.
>
> -a, --all, --allversions, --all-versions
> AllVersions - include results from all versions.
>
> --version=VALUE
> Version - Specific version of a package to return.
>
> -u, --user=VALUE
> User - used with authenticated feeds. Defaults to empty.
>
> -p, --password=VALUE
> Password - the user's password to the source. Defaults to empty.
>
> --cert=VALUE
> Client certificate - PFX pathname for an x509 authenticated feeds.
> Defaults to empty. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --cp, --certpassword=VALUE
> Certificate Password - the client certificate's password to the source.
> Defaults to empty. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --page=VALUE
> Page - the 'page' of results to return. Defaults to return all results.
> Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --page-size=VALUE
> Page Size - the amount of package results to return per page. Defaults
> to 25. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> -e, --exact
> Exact - Only return packages with this exact name. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --by-id-only
> ByIdOnly - Only return packages where the id contains the search filter.
> Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --by-tag-only, --by-tags-only
> ByTagOnly - Only return packages where the search filter matches on the
> tags. Available in 0.10.6+.
>
> --id-starts-with
> IdStartsWith - Only return packages where the id starts with the search
> filter. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --order-by-popularity
> OrderByPopularity - Sort by package results by popularity. Available in
> 0.9.10+.
>
> --approved-only
> ApprovedOnly - Only return approved packages - this option will filter
> out results not from the community repository. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --download-cache, --download-cache-only
> DownloadCacheAvailable - Only return packages that have a download cache
> available - this option will filter out results not from the community
> repository. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --not-broken
> NotBroken - Only return packages that are not failing testing - this
> option only filters out failing results from the community feed. It will
> not filter against other sources. Available in 0.9.10+.
>
> --detail, --detailed
> Detailed - Alias for verbose. Available in 0.9.10+.
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by examining how help output is generated for `choco list`, `choco search`, and the `clist` alias. Compare the displayed sections with the command and options being requested, then define which information is relevant for each context and verify that the resulting help is less overwhelming without removing needed usage details.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- csharp
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 28/100