ocamlscript-help.txt

Usage: ocamlscript [ PACKED_OPTIONS [ OPTIONS ] [ -- ] [SCRIPTNAME] [ARGS] ]

Ocamlscript normally reads the source code of a program from a file, looks
if a compiled executable exists for this program. If it exists and if it
is more recent than the source file, the executable is executed immediately,
otherwise it is updated by executing compilation instructions that can
be specified in the program file.

A typical self-executable script looks as follows:

  #!/usr/bin/env ocamlscript
  (* this is the compilation section, in OCaml *)
  Ocaml.packs := ["unix"; "micmatch_pcre"] (* Findlib packages *)
  --
  (* this is the program section *)
  let _ =
    ...


Structure of the command line:

PACKED_OPTIONS:
  the first argument of ocamlscript. It is either unpacked into 
  several arguments that are passed to ocamlscript or into a script name 
  if this name doesn't start with "-". Double-quotes can be used 
  to enclose arguments that contain whitespace or double-quotes. 
  Double-quotes must be doubled. For instance, the following 
  self-executable script would be compiled into an executable named
  Hello "World":
    #!/usr/bin/ocamlscript -o "Hello ""World"""
    print_endline "Hello "World""
  
  Important note: on some Unix systems, the whole 
  '-o "Hello ""World"""' string is passed as a single argument 
  to ocamlscript. This is why the first argument must be unpacked, 
  even if ocamlscript is called explicitely from the command line.

OPTIONS: 
  any number of arguments in this section are treated like options
  to ocamlscript until a either a non-option is encountered, which is 
  understood as the script name (SCRIPTNAME) or "--" which stops
  the list of arguments that are passed to ocamlscript.

Ocamlscript supports the following options:
  --  marks the end of ocamlscript arguments
  -help  displays a help message and exit
  --help  same as -help
  -c  compile only
  -o EXEC_NAME  specify a name for the executable 
                (required if the program is not read from a file)
  -e PROGRAM  execute the code given here instead of reading it from a file
  -f  force recompilation which is otherwise based on last modification dates
  -debug  print messages about what ocamlscript is doing
  -version  prints the version identifier to stdout and exit
  -  read program from stdin instead of a file
  -vm VIRTUAL_MACHINE  run the executable using this virtual machine (e.g. 
                       ocamlrun)

"--": passed as an argument to ocamlscript in the PACKED_OPTIONS argument
        or in the OPTIONS argument marks the end of the arguments that
        are passed to ocamlscript. Arguments that follow will be 
        interpreted as arguments of the script.
        Arguments that follow "--" in the PACKED_OPTIONS argument
        will be passed as arguments to the final executable. The first
        argument that follows "--" in the OPTIONS command line arguments
        is treated as the script name, unless the program is read from
        another source, as specified by options "-e" (a string) or "-"
        (standard input).


For a full documentation on the structure of the compilation section, go to
ocamlscript's website (http://martin.jambon.free.fr/ocamlscript.html).