https://github.com/DaveJarvis/keenwrite/blob/main/scripts/build-template https://github.com/DaveJarvis/keenwrite/blob/main/scripts/bu... My template script pro

https://github.com/DaveJarvis/keenwrite/blob/main/scripts/build-template https://github.com/DaveJarvis/keenwrite/blob/main/scripts/bu... My template script provides a way to make user-friendly shell scripts. In a script that uses the template, you define the dependencies and their sources as comma-separated values: DEPENDENCIES=( "gradle,https://gradle.org" "warp-packer,https://github.com/Reisz/warp/releases" "tar,https://www.gnu.org/software/tar" "wine,https://www.winehq.org" "unzip,http://infozip.sourceforge.net" ) You define the command-line arguments: ARGUMENTS+=( "a,arch,Target operating system architecture (amd64)" "o,os,Target operating system (linux, windows, mac)" "u,update,Java update version number (${ARG_JAVA_UPDATE})" "v,version,Full Java version (${ARG_JAVA_VERSION})" ) You define the "execute()" method that is called after the arguments are parsed: execute() { // Make the computer do the work. return 1 } If the script takes arguments, handle each one individually: argument() { local consume=2 case "$1" in -a|--arch) ARG_JAVA_ARCH="$2" ;; -o|--os) ARG_JAVA_OS="$2" ;; esac return ${consume} } Then call the template's main to start the script rolling: main "$@" For 99% of the scripts I write, this provides: * Built-in software dependencies verification. * Instructions to the user when requirements are missing. * Simple command-line argument parsing. * Help and logging using ANSI colour. Here's a complete script that builds the Windows, Linux, and Mac installers for my Markdown editor: https://github.com/DaveJarvis/KeenWrite/blob/main/installer.sh https://github.com/DaveJarvis/KeenWrite/blob/main/installer.... There's a write-up about creating the script that has a lot more details about how the template works: https://dave.autonoma.ca/blog/2019/05/22/typesetting-markdown-part-1/ https://dave.autonoma.ca/blog/2019/05/22/typesetting-markdow... Note that it is technically possible to improve the scripts such that handling individual arguments can be done in the template itself. This would require a slightly different argument definition semantics: ARGUMENTS+=( "ARG_JAVA_ARCH,a,arch,Target operating system architecture (amd64)" "ARG_JAVA_OS,o,os,Target operating system (linux, windows, mac)" "usage=utile_usage,h,help,Show this help message then exit" ) By detecting an `=` symbol for the first item in the lists, it's possible to know whether a command-line argument is assigning a variable value, or whether it means to perform additional functionality. (PR welcome!)