'''II. [wiki:GraspSw STARGRASP Software Command Syntax Notes]'''

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A '''command''' and '''argument=value''' syntax is used throughout the layers of STARGRASP software.  This applies to the [wiki:GraspSwDemoScripts demo scripts] (written in Bourne Shell), the [wiki:GraspSwToolkit toolkit level commands] which can be executed on a "command line" or from your favorite scripting language, and the [wiki:GraspSwControllerCmd ASCII socket level interface implemented on the controller].  (It does not apply to the C API where the interface is a standard C-Language function call interface.)  The following general rules apply:

 * Arguments always follow the command.
 * Order is not important(*)
 * Do '''not''' include dashes "-" or "--" in front of the argument.
 * Do '''not''' include white space around the equal sign ("=")
 * Enclose white space in a value with double quotes (or quotes appropriate for the scripting language you are using.)

Examples:
{{{
go nexp=3 etype=DARK comment="Some comment string w/ spaces"  GOOD
go 3                                                          Not recommended
go nexp = 3                                                   WRONG
go nexp=3 etype=DARK comment=Some comment string              WRONG
}}}

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(*) The only time order is important is when using a shorthand in which only the '''value''' is given (i.e., no '''argument''' and no '''=''').  In this case, the command parser falls back on positional rules.  This syntax is not recommended, because the full syntax is more explicit, provides a level of self-documentation in scripts, and is easier to make sense of in network traces.