Dynamically updatable and easily scalable command line parser using a centralized data schema

• US 7,478,380 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ragunathan, Anusha, Schmidt, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiss; Eric B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang; Ben C
• Application Number:
  US10/988,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A method for interfacing with a command line interface utility which includes defining a data schema for command line interface data, defining a command line interface option object using the data schema, and linking the command line interface option object to a command line interface function to interact with a system management function.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with a command line interface utility comprising:

defining a data schema for command line interface data;

defining a command line interface option object using the data schema; and

,

linking the command line interface option object to a command line interface function to interact with a system management function; and

wherein

the command line interface option object includes an option identification element, a name element, an alias element, a help description element, an option flags element, an option data element, an option dependency element, an option parameter element, an argument flags element, a validation function identification element and an operation function identification element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the data schema controls how to expose a command line interface option to a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the command line interface option object interacts with a command line interface utility without recompiling the command line interface utility.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the command line interface function includes a command line interface utility.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the linking includes linking the command line interface object to a plurality of command line interface functions, the plurality of command line interface functions interacting with a plurality of system management functions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the system management function interfaces with a hardware module of an information handling system.

7. An apparatus for interfacing with a command line interface utility comprising processor:

means for defining a data schema for command line interface data;

means for defining a command line interface option object using the data schema; and

,

means for linking the command line interface option object to a command line interface function to interact with a system management function; and

wherein

the command line interface option object includes an option identification element, a name element, an alias element, a help description element, an option flags element, an option data element, an option dependency element, an option parameter element, an argument flags element, a validation function identification element and an operation function identification element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the data schema controls how to expose a command line interface option to a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the command line interface option object interacts with a command line interface utility without recompiling the command line interface utility.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the command line interface function includes a command line interface utility.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the linking includes linking the command line interface object to a plurality of command line interface functions, the plurality of command line interface functions interacting with a plurality of system management functions.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the system management function interfaces with a hardware module of an information handling system.

13. An information handling system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a command line interface utility and a command line interface object, the command line interface object including command line interface data, the command line interface data conforming to a data schema, the command line interface utility being linked to the command line interface object, the command line interface utility interfacing with a system management function; and

wherein

the command line interface object includes an option identification element, a name element, an alias element, a help description element, an option flags element, an option data element, an option dependency element, an option parameter element, an argument flags element, a validation function identification element and an operation function identification element.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein:

the data schema controls how to expose a command line interface option to a user.

15. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein:

the command line interface object interacts with the command line interface utility without recompiling the command line interface utility.

16. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein:

the command line interface utility interacts with a plurality of system management functions.

17. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein:

the system management function interfaces with a hardware module of the information handling system.