[[using-shell-options-short]]
= Short Format

ifndef::snippets[:snippets: ../../../../src/test/java/org/springframework/shell/docs]

Short style _POSIX_ option is usually just a synonym to long format. As
shown below option `--arg` is equal to `-a`.

[tabs]
======
Programmatic::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="primary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-string-programmatic]
----

Annotation::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="secondary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-string-annotation]
----

Legacy Annotation::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="secondary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-string-legacyannotation]
----
======

Short option with combined format is powerful if type is defined as a flag
which means type is a _boolean_. That way you can define a presence of a flags
as `-abc`, `-abc true` or `-abc false`.

[tabs]
======
Programmatic::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="primary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-multiple-booleans-programmatic]
----

Annotation::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="secondary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-multiple-booleans-annotation]
----

Legacy Annotation::
+
[source,java,indent=0,role="secondary"]
----
include::{snippets}/ShortOptionSnippets.java[tag=option-type-multiple-booleans-legacyannotation]
----
======