diff --git a/src/SUMMARY.md b/src/SUMMARY.md index 94768bc83..0a9dc7773 100644 --- a/src/SUMMARY.md +++ b/src/SUMMARY.md @@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ - [Parallel Compilation](./parallel-rustc.md) - [Part 3: Source Code Representations](./part-3-intro.md) + - [Command-line arguments](./cli.md) - [The Rustc Driver and Interface](./rustc-driver.md) - [Rustdoc](./rustdoc.md) - [Ex: Type checking through `rustc_interface`](./rustc-driver-interacting-with-the-ast.md) diff --git a/src/cli.md b/src/cli.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..bbb7bae24 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/cli.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +# Command-line Arguments + +Command-line flags are documented in the [rustc book][cli-docs]. All *stable* +flags should be documented there. Unstable flags should be documented in the +[unstable book]. + +## Guidelines + +- Flags should be orthogonal to each other. For example, if we'd have a + json-emitting variant of multiple actions `foo` and `bar`, an additional + `--json` flag is better than adding `--foo-json` and `--bar-json`. +- Avoid flags with the `no-` prefix. Instead, use the [`parse_bool`] function, + such as `-C embed-bitcode=no`. +- Consider the behavior if the flag is passed multiple times. In some + situations, the values should be accumulated (in order!). In other + situations, subsequent flags should override previous flags (for example, + the lint-level flags). And some flags (like `-o`) should generate an error + if it is too ambiguous what multiple flags would mean. +- Always give options a long descriptive name, if only for more understandable + compiler scripts. +- The `--verbose` flag is for adding verbose information to `rustc` output + when not compiling a program. For example, using it with the `--version` + flag gives information about the hashes of the compiler code. +- Experimental flags and options must be guarded behind the `-Z + unstable-options` flag. + +[cli-docs]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/rustc/command-line-arguments.html +[unstable book]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/unstable-book/ +[`parse_bool`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/e5335592e78354e33d798d20c04bcd677c1df62d/src/librustc_session/options.rs#L307-L313