Bash Argument Parser Generator

A self-contained web application for interactively building bash argument parsing code. Zero external dependencies - single binary deployment.

Features

• Zero Dependencies: Single Go binary with embedded assets
• Real-time Help Preview: See generated help output as you type
• Clean Separation: Frontend assets organized in separate directories
• Auto-expanding Rows: New input rows appear automatically
• Dark Terminal Theme: Professional terminal-style interface
• Copy to Clipboard: One-click script copying

Architecture

argparse-builder/
├── main.go              # Go server with embedded FS
├── static/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── style.css    # Styling
│   └── js/
│       └── app.js       # Frontend logic
└── templates/
    └── index.html       # HTML template

All files are embedded using //go:embed directive, resulting in a single binary.

Build

go build -o argparse-builder

Run

./argparse-builder

Server starts on port 8080. Open http://localhost:8080 in your browser. Demo available at: https://pages.git.pynezz.dev/argparse-builder

Usage

1. Add Custom Header (optional): Set a greeting or description
2. Define Arguments:
   • Parameters: -v --verbose (flag syntax)
   • Variable Name: verbose (internal variable)
   • Help Text: Description shown in help output
3. Real-time Preview: Help output updates as you type
4. Generate: Click "Generate BASH" to create the script
5. Copy: Use the copy button to get the generated code

Example Output

For inputs:

• Header: "My Script v1.0"
• Arguments: -v --verbose, verbose, "Enable verbose output"

Generates a complete bash script with:

• Usage function with formatted help
• Argument parsing with case statements
• Variable initialization
• Unknown option handling
• -h/--help support

Technical Details

• Language: Go 1.21+
• Embedding: embed.FS for asset bundling
• Binary Size: ~9MB (includes runtime and all assets)
• HTTP Server: Standard library net/http
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript (no frameworks)

Performance

• Instant startup (no compilation)
• Low memory footprint
• Efficient static file serving from memory
• No external network calls

Security Considerations

• Input sanitization on server side
• No shell execution
• Template-based HTML generation
• CORS headers not set (localhost only by default)

Run in container

File Structure

.
├── assets/
│   ├── Containerfile         # OCI production (scratch, ~7MB)
│   └── Containerfile.alpine  # Development (Alpine, ~15MB)
│
├── docs/
│   ├── container.md          # Primary Podman guide ⭐
│   ├── docker/
│   │   ├── DOCKER_GUIDE.md   # Complete Docker reference
│   │   ├── Dockerfile        # Docker production
│   │   ├── Dockerfile.alpine # Docker development
│   │   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   │   ├── docker.md         # Docker vs Podman
│   │   └── README.md
│   └── README.md             # Documentation hub
│
├── Makefile.container        # Podman build targets
├── podman-compose.yml        # OCI compose with SELinux
├── CONTAINER_QUICKREF.md     # One-page reference
├── PODMAN_SUMMARY.md         # This summary
└── k8s-deployment.yaml       # Kubernetes manifest (TODO)

Usage

# Podman (primary)
podman build -f assets/Containerfile -t argparse-builder .
podman run -d -p 8080:8080 --security-opt label=type:container_t argparse-builder

# Docker (compatibility)
docker build -f assets/Containerfile -t argparse-builder .
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 argparse-builder