Optional option argument with getopts

Question

while getopts \"hd:R:\" arg; do
  case $arg in
    h)
      echo \"usgae\" 
      ;;
    d)
      dir=$OPTARG
      ;;
    R)
      if [[ $OPTARG =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]];then         


        

Answer 1

Try:

while getopts "hd:R:" arg; do
  case $arg in
    h)
      echo "usage" 
    ;;
    d)
      dir=$OPTARG
    ;;
    R)
      if [[ $OPTARG =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]];then
        level=$OPTARG
      elif [[ $OPTARG =~ ^-. ]];then
        level=1
        let OPTIND=$OPTIND-1
      else
        level=1
      fi          
    ;;
    \?)
      echo "WRONG" >&2
    ;;
  esac
done

I think the above code will work for your purposes while still using getopts. I've added the following three lines to your code when getopts encounters -R:

      elif [[ $OPTARG =~ ^-. ]];then
        level=1
        let OPTIND=$OPTIND-1

If -R is encountered and the first argument looks like another getopts parameter, level is set to the default value of 1, and then the $OPTIND variable is reduced by one. The next time getopts goes to grab an argument, it will grab the correct argument instead of skipping it.

---

Here is similar example based on the code from Jan Schampera's comment at this tutorial:

#!/bin/bash
while getopts :abc: opt; do
  case $opt in
    a)
      echo "option a"
    ;;
    b)
      echo "option b"
    ;;
    c)
      echo "option c"

      if [[ $OPTARG = -* ]]; then
        ((OPTIND--))
        continue
      fi

      echo "(c) argument $OPTARG"
    ;;
    \?)
      echo "WTF!"
      exit 1
    ;;
  esac
done

When you discover that OPTARG von -c is something beginning with a hyphen, then reset OPTIND and re-run getopts (continue the while loop). Oh, of course, this isn't perfect and needs some more robustness. It's just an example.