# node-shlex

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`node-shlex` is a Node.js module for quoting and parsing shell commands.

The API was inspired by the [`shlex`][pyshlex] module from the Python Standard 
Library. However, the Python implementation is fairly complex, and supports a
confusing matrix of modes that is not replicated here. `node-shlex` always
operates in what the Python module calls "POSIX mode."

[pyshlex]: https://docs.python.org/3/library/shlex.html

As of version 2.0.0, Bash's [ANSI C strings][ansi-c] (`$'x'`) and
[locale-specific translation strings][locale] (`$"x"`) are supported. This
diverges from the Python `shlex` behavior but makes parsing more accurate.

[ansi-c]: https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/ANSI_002dC-Quoting.html
[locale]: https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/Locale-Translation.html

Note that `node-shlex` does not attempt to split on or otherwise parse 
operators (such as `2>/dev/null`), and it does not perform variable
interpolation.

## Usage

### `shlex.quote()`

```node
var quote = require("shlex").quote
quote("abc")      // returns: abc
quote("abc def")  // returns: 'abc def'
quote("can't")    // returns: 'can'"'"'t'
```

### `shlex.split()`

```node
var split = require("shlex").split
split('ls -al /')  // returns: [ 'ls', '-al', '/' ]
split('rm -f "/Volumes/Macintosh HD"')  // returns [ 'rm', '-f', '/Volumes/Macintosh HD' ]
```