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C - Command Line Arguments - Tutorialspoint

Command line arguments allow values to be passed to C programs when they are executed. The main() function handles command line arguments, with argc representing the number of arguments and argv[] being a pointer array of each argument. A simple example program checks the number of arguments passed and prints messages accordingly. It demonstrates printing the argument passed, handling too many arguments, and no arguments.

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Dipak Admane
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125 views

C - Command Line Arguments - Tutorialspoint

Command line arguments allow values to be passed to C programs when they are executed. The main() function handles command line arguments, with argc representing the number of arguments and argv[] being a pointer array of each argument. A simple example program checks the number of arguments passed and prints messages accordingly. It demonstrates printing the argument passed, handling too many arguments, and no arguments.

Uploaded by

Dipak Admane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C - Command Line Arguments

It is possible to pass some values from the command line to your C programs when they are executed. These
values are called command line arguments and many times they are important for your program especially
when you want to control your program from outside instead of hard coding those values inside the code.
The command line arguments are handled using main() function arguments where argc refers to the number
of arguments passed, and argv[] is a pointer array which points to each argument passed to the program.
Following is a simple example which checks if there is any argument supplied from the command line and
take action accordingly −

#include <stdio.h>

int main( int argc, char *argv[] ) {

if( argc == 2 ) {
printf("The argument supplied is %s\n", argv[1]);
}
else if( argc > 2 ) {
printf("Too many arguments supplied.\n");
}
else {
printf("One argument expected.\n");
}
}

When the above code is compiled and executed with single argument, it produces the following result.

$./a.out testing
The argument supplied is testing

When the above code is compiled and executed with a two arguments, it produces the following result.

$./a.out testing1 testing2


Too many arguments supplied.

When the above code is compiled and executed without passing any argument, it produces the following
result.

$./a.out
One argument expected

It should be noted that argv[0] holds the name of the program itself and argv[1] is a pointer to the first
command line argument supplied, and *argv[n] is the last argument. If no arguments are supplied, argc will/ be
one, and if you pass one argument then argc is set at 2.
You pass all the command line arguments separated by a space, but if argument itself has a space then you
can pass such arguments by putting them inside double quotes "" or single quotes ''. Let us re-write above
example once again where we will print program name and we also pass a command line argument by putting
inside double quotes −

#include <stdio.h>

int main( int argc, char *argv[] ) {

printf("Program name %s\n", argv[0]);

if( argc == 2 ) {
printf("The argument supplied is %s\n", argv[1]);
}
else if( argc > 2 ) {
printf("Too many arguments supplied.\n");
}
else {
printf("One argument expected.\n");
}
}

When the above code is compiled and executed with a single argument separated by space but inside double
quotes, it produces the following result.

$./a.out "testing1 testing2"

Progranm name ./a.out


The argument supplied is testing1 testing2

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