Command line interface for a data processing system

A program product providing a command line interface for a data processing system, said program product comprising:

• an output facility that presents outputs of said command line interface;
• a parser that parses inputs entered at a command line, said parser interpreting a particular input within a partial command entered at said command line as a help request;
• a command processor that processes commands validated by said parser;
• an in-line help facility that, in response to a help request, causes said output facility to present possible input options that can be entered at said command line to complete said partial command;
• and
• a data processing system usable medium that encodes said output facility, said parser, said command processor, and said in-line help facility.

A data processing system comprising:

• a processor and data storage in communication;
• a command line interface residing in said data storage and executable by said processor, said command line interface including:
• an output facility that presents outputs of said command line interface;
• a parser that parses and validates inputs entered at a command line, said parser defining one or more validation point inputs and one or more execution point inputs, wherein at least one of said one or more validation point inputs is a validation-only input;
• and
• a command processor that processes commands validated by said parser in response to receipt of an execution point input.

A program product providing a command line interface for a data processing system, said program product comprising:

• an output facility that presents outputs of said command line interface;
• a parser that parses and validates inputs entered at a command line, said parser defining one or more validation point inputs and one or more execution point inputs, wherein at least one of said one or more validation point inputs is a validation-only input;
• a command processor that processes commands validated by said parser in response to receipt of an execution point input;
• and
• a data processing system usable medium encoding said output facility, said parser, and said command processor.

A method of operating a command line interface for a data processing system, said method comprising:

• defining one or more validation point inputs and one or more execution point inputs, wherein at least one of said one or more validation point inputs is a validation-only input;
• in response to entry of validation point input, parsing and validating inputs entered at a command line;
• and
• in response to receipt of an execution point input, processing validated commands.