RFR: 8340133: Add concise usage message to the java executable [v8]
Jan Lahoda
jlahoda at openjdk.org
Tue Nov 12 13:17:13 UTC 2024
> Currently, running `java` without any parameters will lead to an output that is a full `--help`, which is over 100 lines (on my computer at least), and it feels overwhelming. And many people might actually want to run JShell/REPL, not the `java` executable, but it is difficult find out about JShell.
>
> The proposal herein is to print a much shorter help, together with a pointer to JShell, when the executable does not know what to do. I.e. there is nothing specified to start, and no option like `--help` is specified. In particular, on my machine, it prints:
>
> openjdk 24-internal 2025-03-18
>
> Usage: java [java options...] <application> [application arguments...]
>
> Where <application> is one of:
> <mainclass> to execute the main method of a compiled class
> -jar <jarfile>.jar to execute the main class of a JAR archive
> -m <module>[/<mainclass>] to execute the main class of a module
> <sourcefile>.java to compile and execute a source-file program
>
> Where key java options include:
> --class-path <class path>
> where <class path> is a list of directories and JAR archives to search for class files, separated by ":"
> --module-path <module path>
> where <module path> is a list of directories and JAR archives to search for modules, separated by ":"
>
> For additional help on usage: java --help
> For an interactive Java environment: jshell
>
>
> Hopefully, this may be easier both for people trying to run something, and for people that are really looking for JShell.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Thanks!
Jan Lahoda has updated the pull request incrementally with one additional commit since the last revision:
Reflecting review feedback:
- using "conciseVersionString" intead of "shortVersionString"
- using <jarfile>.jar <jarfile>
-------------
Changes:
- all: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/21411/files
- new: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/21411/files/b4d7b493..e9e9ad4b
Webrevs:
- full: https://webrevs.openjdk.org/?repo=jdk&pr=21411&range=07
- incr: https://webrevs.openjdk.org/?repo=jdk&pr=21411&range=06-07
Stats: 8 lines in 5 files changed: 0 ins; 0 del; 8 mod
Patch: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/21411.diff
Fetch: git fetch https://git.openjdk.org/jdk.git pull/21411/head:pull/21411
PR: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/21411
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