184790 - [META] Overhaul of command line service and system

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 276588

(Core Graveyard :: Cmd-line Features, enhancement)

Description

[Brian 'netdragon' Bober]

I thought about this when working on bug 26761

The command line service needs a big-time overhaul. If we want Mozilla to
be used as a framework to develop other applications, we need the ability for:

* Multi-parameter commands
* Mozilla -help to be context-sensitive
* Intuitive data structures holding all the information 
     (including context help for different commands and parameters)
      with access functions that allow you to use your own formatting for
      display (HTML, .txt, within Application Help, etc).

For instance, HTML - bug 60085 could dynamically access this info for HTML 
formatting.

Some applications might need more functionality than Mozilla itself needs. If 
we want Mozilla to be a framework, we need this functionality.

This isn't just for attaching bugs that have to do with problems with the 
command line display unless its about how we can structurally improve the 
service. If its just about formatting problems, adding new commands then it 
doesn't belong here.

If you can come up with ways we can improve the the functionality of the 
command line system, file a bug (if it doesn't exist) and add it here.

Bug 56654 command-line interface doesn't allow for arbitrary processing

I'm not sure exactly what this bug is about, but it appeared general enough to 
add here.

Comment 1

[Brian 'netdragon' Bober]

Adding bug 184789 - Command line service needs to store and provide access to 
context sensitive help