lib: removing returnHelpText and addHelpOption

Author: miguelmarcondesf

doc/api/util.md

@@ -2051,19 +2051,12 @@ changes:
     the tokens in different ways.
     **Default:** `false`.
   * `help` {string} General help text to display at the beginning of help output.
-  * `addHelpOption` {boolean} Whether to automatically add a help option to the
-    options if general help text is provided and no existing help option is defined.
-    The auto-added help option uses `-h` short flag and `--help` long flag.
-    **Default:** `true` if `help` is provided, `false` otherwise.
-  * `returnHelpText` {boolean} Whether to return formatted help text in the result.
-    **Default:** `true` if `help` is provided or `addHelpOption` is `true`, `false` otherwise.
 
 * Returns: {Object} The parsed command line arguments:
   * `values` {Object} A mapping of parsed option names with their {string}
     or {boolean} values.
   * `positionals` {string\[]} Positional arguments.
   * `helpText` {string | undefined} Formatted help text for all options provided.
-    Only included if `returnHelpText` is `true`.
   * `tokens` {Object\[] | undefined} See [parseArgs tokens](#parseargs-tokens)
     section. Only returned if `config` includes `tokens: true`.
 
@@ -2114,7 +2107,7 @@ console.log(values, positionals);
 ### `parseArgs` help text
 
 `parseArgs` supports automatic formatted help text generation for command-line options. When
-general help text is provided, a help option is automatically added unless disabled or already present.
+general help text is provided, a help option is automatically added unless already present.
 
 #### Simple usage
 
@@ -2190,72 +2183,6 @@ if (result.values.help) {
 }
 ```
 
-#### Advanced configuration
-
-Use `addHelpOption` and `returnHelpText` to customize help behavior:
-
-```mjs
-import { parseArgs } from 'node:util';
-
-const options = {
-  foo: {
-    type: 'boolean',
-    short: 'f',
-    help: 'use the foo filter',
-  },
-  assist: {
-    type: 'boolean',
-    short: '?',
-    help: 'display help',
-  },
-};
-
-const result = parseArgs({
-  addHelpOption: false, // Suppress auto help option
-  returnHelpText: true, // Generate help text anyway
-  options,
-});
-
-if (result.values.assist) {
-  console.log(result.helpText);
-  // Prints:
-  // -f, --foo                     use the foo filter
-  // -?, --assist                  display help
-}
-```
-
-#### Deferred help generation
-
-For performance, you can postpone help text generation until needed:
-
-```mjs
-import { parseArgs } from 'node:util';
-
-const options = {
-  foo: {
-    type: 'boolean',
-    short: 'f',
-    help: 'use the foo filter',
-  },
-};
-
-// First parse without generating help text
-const result = parseArgs({
-  addHelpOption: true,
-  returnHelpText: false,
-  options,
-});
-
-if (result.values.help) {
-  // Generate help text only when needed
-  const { helpText } = parseArgs({
-    help: 'utility to control filters',
-    options,
-  });
-  console.log(helpText);
-}
-```
-
 ### `parseArgs` `tokens`
 
 Detailed parse information is available for adding custom behaviors by

lib/internal/util/parse_args/parse_args.js

@@ -352,11 +352,7 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
   const help = objectGetOwn(config, 'help') ?? '';
 
   const hasGenerateHelp = help.length > 0;
-  const addHelpOption = objectGetOwn(config, 'addHelpOption') ?? hasGenerateHelp;
-  const returnHelpText = objectGetOwn(config, 'returnHelpText') ?? (hasGenerateHelp || addHelpOption);
-
-  // Auto-inject help option if requested and not already present
-  if (addHelpOption && !ObjectHasOwn(options, 'help')) {
+  if (hasGenerateHelp && !ObjectHasOwn(options, 'help')) {
     options = {
       ...options,
       __proto__: null,
@@ -378,8 +374,6 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
   validateBoolean(allowNegative, 'allowNegative');
   validateObject(options, 'options');
   validateString(help, 'help');
-  validateBoolean(addHelpOption, 'addHelpOption');
-  validateBoolean(returnHelpText, 'returnHelpText');
   ArrayPrototypeForEach(
     ObjectEntries(options),
     ({ 0: longOption, 1: optionConfig }) => {
@@ -466,24 +460,22 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
     }
   });
 
-  // Phase 4: generate print usage for each option if requested
-  if (returnHelpText) {
-    let printUsage = '';
-    if (help) {
-      printUsage += help;
-    }
-    ArrayPrototypeForEach(ObjectEntries(options), ({ 0: longOption, 1: optionConfig }) => {
-      const helpTextForPrint = formatHelpTextForPrint(longOption, optionConfig);
-
-      if (printUsage.length > 0) {
-        printUsage += '\n';
-      }
-      printUsage += helpTextForPrint;
-    });
+  // Phase 4: generate print usage for each option
+  let printUsage = '';
+  if (help) {
+    printUsage += help;
+  }
+  ArrayPrototypeForEach(ObjectEntries(options), ({ 0: longOption, 1: optionConfig }) => {
+    const helpTextForPrint = formatHelpTextForPrint(longOption, optionConfig);
 
     if (printUsage.length > 0) {
-      result.helpText = printUsage;
+      printUsage += '\n';
     }
+    printUsage += helpTextForPrint;
+  });
+
+  if (help && printUsage.length > 0) {
+    result.helpText = printUsage;
   }
 
   return result;

test/parallel/test-parse-args.mjs

@@ -1203,127 +1203,15 @@ test('auto-detect --no-foo as negated when strict:false and allowNegative', () =
     assert.strictEqual(result.helpText, printUsage);
   });
 
-  // Test addHelpOption behavior
-  test('addHelpOption validation must be boolean', () => {
-    const args = ['-f', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', short: 'f', help: 'help text' } };
-
-    assert.throws(() => {
-      parseArgs({ args, options, addHelpOption: 'true' });
-    }, /The "addHelpOption" argument must be of type boolean/
-    );
-  });
-
-  test('addHelpOption is true auto-injects help option when no existing help option', () => {
+  test('auto-injects help option when no existing help option', () => {
     const args = ['--foo', 'bar'];
     const options = { foo: { type: 'string', help: 'use the foo filter' } };
     const help = 'utility to control filters';
 
-    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, help, addHelpOption: true });
+    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, help });
 
     assert.ok(result.helpText.includes('-h, --help                    Show help'));
-    const resultWithHelp = parseArgs({ args: ['--help'], options, help, addHelpOption: true });
+    const resultWithHelp = parseArgs({ args: ['--help'], options, help });
     assert.strictEqual(resultWithHelp.values.help, true);
   });
-
-  test('addHelpOption is false prevents auto-injection of help option', () => {
-    const args = ['--foo', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', help: 'use the foo filter' } };
-    const help = 'utility to control filters';
-
-    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, help, addHelpOption: false });
-
-    assert.ok(!result.helpText.includes('-h, --help'));
-    assert.throws(() => {
-      parseArgs({ args: ['--help'], options, help, addHelpOption: false });
-    }, { code: 'ERR_PARSE_ARGS_UNKNOWN_OPTION' });
-  });
-
-  test('addHelpOption is false but existing help option should still work', () => {
-    const args = ['--help'];
-    const options = {
-      foo: { type: 'string', help: 'use the foo filter' },
-      help: { type: 'boolean', short: '?', help: 'display help' }
-    };
-    const help = 'utility to control filters';
-
-    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, help, addHelpOption: false });
-
-    assert.strictEqual(result.values.help, true);
-    assert.ok(result.helpText.includes('-?, --help                    display help'));
-  });
-
-  // Test returnHelpText behavior
-  test('returnHelpText validation must be boolean', () => {
-    const args = ['-f', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', short: 'f', help: 'help text' } };
-
-    assert.throws(() => {
-      parseArgs({ args, options, returnHelpText: 'true' });
-    }, /The "returnHelpText" argument must be of type boolean/
-    );
-  });
-
-  test('returnHelpText is false prevents help text generation', () => {
-    const args = ['--foo', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', help: 'use the foo filter' } };
-    const help = 'utility to control filters';
-
-    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, help, returnHelpText: false });
-
-    assert.strictEqual(result.helpText, undefined);
-  });
-
-  test('returnHelpText is true forces help text generation even without general help', () => {
-    const args = ['--foo', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', help: 'use the foo filter' } };
-
-    const result = parseArgs({ args, options, returnHelpText: true, addHelpOption: true });
-
-    assert.ok(result.helpText);
-    assert.ok(result.helpText.includes('--foo <arg>                   use the foo filter'));
-    assert.ok(result.helpText.includes('-h, --help                    Show help'));
-  });
-
-  test('postpone help generation until needed', () => {
-    const options = {
-      foo: { type: 'boolean', short: 'f', help: 'use the foo filter' },
-      bar: { type: 'string', help: 'use the specified bar filter' }
-    };
-
-    const result = parseArgs({
-      addHelpOption: true,
-      returnHelpText: false,
-      options
-    });
-
-    assert.strictEqual(result.helpText, undefined);
-
-    const { helpText } = parseArgs({
-      help: 'utility to control filters',
-      options
-    });
-
-    assert.ok(helpText);
-    assert.ok(helpText.includes('utility to control filters'));
-  });
-
-  test('when both addHelpOption and returnHelpText are false, no help functionality', () => {
-    const args = ['--foo', 'bar'];
-    const options = { foo: { type: 'string', help: 'help text' } };
-    const help = 'Description text';
-
-    const result = parseArgs({
-      args,
-      options,
-      help,
-      addHelpOption: false,
-      returnHelpText: false
-    });
-
-    assert.strictEqual(result.helpText, undefined);
-    assert.throws(() => {
-      parseArgs({ args: ['--help'], options, help, addHelpOption: false });
-    }, { code: 'ERR_PARSE_ARGS_UNKNOWN_OPTION' });
-  });
 }