help_shell: Simplified Help Management for Shell Scripts

Imagine creating helper functions and typing whatever you want in the terminal, just creating a simple function instead of an entire script—this is the premise of help_shell.

The help_shell script is an efficient and user-friendly tool designed to dynamically display help information for your Bash functions. As part of the shell_utils framework, one of the most comprehensive collections of utilities and scripts, this script simplifies the creation and management of help documentation for your custom functions.

Key Features

• Dynamic Help Display: Automatically lists all available functions with descriptions extracted from comments.
• Interactive Search: Search for functions by name or description using a clean and intuitive menu powered by whiptail.
• Flexible Usage: Allows for specifying functions as command-line arguments or interacting via the dynamic menu.
• Integration Ready: Seamlessly integrates with the shell_utils framework, leveraging pre-defined variables and resources.

Prerequisites

• Bash shell (version 4.0 or higher recommended)
• whiptail for interactive menus
• A functional installation of the shell_utils framework

Installation

• Clone the shell_utils repository:

  git clone https://github.com/felipefacundes/shell_utils ~/.shell_utils

Usage

Run the script directly to explore available functions:

./help_shell

Command-line Arguments

You can pass function names as arguments to call them directly:

./help_shell function1 function2

Interactive Help

Use the -h or --help flags to access the help menu:

./help_shell -h

License

This script is licensed under the GPLv3. See the LICENSE file in the shell_utils repository for details.

Credits

Developed by Felipe Facundes as part of the shell_utils framework.