Command-line Flags

To sumarize the previous subsection, MrEd accepts its command-line flags in six batches:

1. --pre expression,
2. the X windows flags (only under X Windows),
3. -s collection,
4. the flags that specify the application (see the Application Specifing Flags section),
5. --, and finally
6. the flags that the application interprets (see the application startup flags section).

The flags within a batch may come in any order, but the batches must appear on the command line in the order listed above. All batches are optional except the fifth batch, which must be used if any flags from the sixth batch are present.

Any flag that matches a particular batch is consumed by that batch and will not match in later batches. So, to guarantee that a flag is matched in batch 6, prefix it with --. Similarly, to guarantee that a flag is matched in batch 4 or 6, prefix it with -s collection, (e.g. -s system). See the startup sequence section for more infomation on the specific flags in each batch.

When using the launcher collection, the command line flag batches are simplified. Abstractly, the launcher accepts the flags for batches 1, 3 and 4. It then produces an application that only accepts batches 2 (only under X windows) and 6. See plt/collects/launcher/doc.txt for more details.