shell-quote vs shell-escape vs shlex vs quote
Shell Command Parsing Libraries Comparison
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shell-quoteshell-escapeshlexquote
What's Shell Command Parsing Libraries?

These libraries are designed to facilitate the parsing and handling of shell commands in JavaScript applications. They help developers safely construct shell command strings, escape arguments, and parse command-line inputs, ensuring that commands are executed correctly and securely without introducing vulnerabilities such as command injection. Each library has its own approach and features, catering to different use cases and developer preferences.

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shell-quote25,289,2362923.5 kB83 months agoMIT
shell-escape370,49471-210 years agoMIT
shlex200,3433820.8 kB1-MIT
quote78,3364-210 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: shell-quote vs shell-escape vs shlex vs quote

Quoting Mechanism

  • shell-quote:

    While primarily focused on parsing, 'shell-quote' also provides quoting capabilities to ensure that parsed components are correctly formatted for shell execution, allowing for seamless integration of user inputs into commands.

  • shell-escape:

    This package offers a more sophisticated quoting mechanism that escapes special characters in strings, making them safe for inclusion in shell commands. It is designed to prevent command injection vulnerabilities by ensuring that user input is properly sanitized.

  • shlex:

    The 'shlex' library implements a quoting mechanism similar to that of Python's shlex module, allowing for complex shell quoting scenarios. It can handle nested quotes and various shell syntax nuances, making it suitable for advanced use cases.

  • quote:

    The 'quote' library provides a simple function to wrap strings in quotes, ensuring that they are safely formatted for shell execution. It handles basic quoting needs without additional overhead.

Parsing Capabilities

  • shell-quote:

    'shell-quote' excels in parsing shell command strings into arrays of arguments. It can handle various shell syntax, making it ideal for applications that need to process user input or command-line arguments effectively.

  • shell-escape:

    This library does not offer parsing features but focuses on escaping strings for safe shell execution. It is primarily used for constructing command strings rather than interpreting them.

  • shlex:

    'shlex' provides comprehensive parsing capabilities, allowing for the interpretation of shell commands and their arguments. It can handle complex quoting and escape sequences, making it a powerful tool for command-line applications.

  • quote:

    The 'quote' library does not provide parsing capabilities; it is solely focused on quoting strings. It is best used in conjunction with other libraries for complete command handling.

Security Features

  • shell-quote:

    While 'shell-quote' primarily focuses on parsing, it does not inherently provide security features. Developers must ensure that the parsed commands are executed in a safe context to avoid vulnerabilities.

  • shell-escape:

    This library is designed with security in mind, focusing on escaping user input to prevent command injection attacks. It is a good choice for applications that need to safely handle user-generated command strings.

  • shlex:

    'shlex' offers robust parsing capabilities but does not specifically address security concerns. Developers need to be cautious when executing parsed commands to prevent potential security issues.

  • quote:

    The 'quote' library is minimalistic and does not include built-in security features, relying on developers to ensure that the quoted strings are used safely in their applications.

Ease of Use

  • shell-quote:

    'shell-quote' has a slightly steeper learning curve due to its parsing capabilities, but it is well-documented and provides clear examples, making it manageable for most developers.

  • shell-escape:

    This library is user-friendly and provides a clear API for escaping strings, making it accessible for developers who need to construct shell commands safely.

  • shlex:

    'shlex' is designed to be similar to Python's shlex module, which may require some familiarity with Python syntax. However, its comprehensive features make it worthwhile for developers needing advanced parsing.

  • quote:

    The 'quote' library is straightforward and easy to use, making it ideal for developers who need a quick solution for quoting strings without additional complexity.

Performance

  • shell-quote:

    Parsing performance can be impacted by the complexity of the shell command being parsed. 'shell-quote' is optimized for typical use cases but may require optimization for very large or complex commands.

  • shell-escape:

    This library is efficient for escaping strings, but performance may vary depending on the complexity of the input. It is generally performant for most use cases involving command construction.

  • shlex:

    'shlex' is designed for comprehensive parsing, which can introduce some overhead compared to simpler libraries. However, its performance is generally acceptable for most applications requiring detailed shell command handling.

  • quote:

    The 'quote' library is lightweight and performs well for simple quoting tasks, making it suitable for applications where performance is critical and only basic quoting is needed.

How to Choose: shell-quote vs shell-escape vs shlex vs quote
  • shell-quote:

    Select 'shell-quote' if you need to parse shell command strings into their component parts. This library is excellent for applications that need to interpret user input or command-line arguments, allowing for easy manipulation and execution of commands based on parsed input.

  • shell-escape:

    Opt for 'shell-escape' when you require a robust method for escaping shell command arguments. This package is particularly useful for building command strings dynamically while ensuring that special characters are handled correctly, making it suitable for scenarios where security is a concern.

  • shlex:

    Use 'shlex' if you are looking for a library that closely mimics Python's shlex module, providing a comprehensive solution for both quoting and parsing shell commands. This package is ideal for projects that require a more detailed and nuanced handling of shell syntax.

  • quote:

    Choose 'quote' if you need a simple and lightweight solution for quoting strings in shell commands. It is straightforward and ideal for basic use cases where you just need to ensure that strings are properly quoted without additional complexity.

Similar Npm Packages to shell-quote

shell-quote is a JavaScript library designed for parsing and quoting shell commands. It provides a straightforward way to handle shell command strings, allowing developers to easily convert between shell command strings and JavaScript arrays. This is particularly useful when working with command-line interfaces or executing shell commands from within a Node.js application. The library ensures that commands are properly quoted and escaped, preventing issues related to special characters and spaces in command-line arguments.

While shell-quote is a robust solution for handling shell commands, there are several alternatives that offer similar functionality:

  • quote is a simple library that provides a straightforward way to quote strings for use in shell commands. It focuses on escaping special characters to ensure that the resulting string can be safely used in a shell context. If you need a lightweight solution for quoting strings without the overhead of parsing, quote is a great option.
  • shell-escape is another library that specializes in escaping shell command arguments. It provides a simple function to escape strings so that they can be safely included in shell commands. This library is particularly useful for developers who need to ensure that their command-line arguments are properly escaped without the need for full parsing capabilities.
  • shlex is a library that mimics the behavior of Python's shlex module, providing functions for splitting shell command strings into lists of arguments. It is particularly useful for parsing complex shell commands that may contain quoted strings or escaped characters. If you require a more comprehensive solution for parsing shell commands, shlex offers a robust set of features.

For a detailed comparison of these packages, visit: Comparing quote vs shell-escape vs shell-quote vs shlex.

README for shell-quote

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Parse and quote shell commands.

example

quote

var quote = require('shell-quote/quote');
var s = quote([ 'a', 'b c d', '$f', '"g"' ]);
console.log(s);

output

a 'b c d' \$f '"g"'

parse

var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');
var xs = parse('a "b c" \\$def \'it\\\'s great\'');
console.dir(xs);

output

[ 'a', 'b c', '\\$def', 'it\'s great' ]

parse with an environment variable

var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');
var xs = parse('beep --boop="$PWD"', { PWD: '/home/robot' });
console.dir(xs);

output

[ 'beep', '--boop=/home/robot' ]

parse with custom escape character

var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');
var xs = parse('beep ^--boop="$PWD"', { PWD: '/home/robot' }, { escape: '^' });
console.dir(xs);

output

[ 'beep --boop=/home/robot' ]

parsing shell operators

var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');
var xs = parse('beep || boop > /byte');
console.dir(xs);

output:

[ 'beep', { op: '||' }, 'boop', { op: '>' }, '/byte' ]

parsing shell comment

var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');
var xs = parse('beep > boop # > kaboom');
console.dir(xs);

output:

[ 'beep', { op: '>' }, 'boop', { comment: '> kaboom' } ]

methods

var quote = require('shell-quote/quote');
var parse = require('shell-quote/parse');

quote(args)

Return a quoted string for the array args suitable for using in shell commands.

parse(cmd, env={})

Return an array of arguments from the quoted string cmd.

Interpolate embedded bash-style $VARNAME and ${VARNAME} variables with the env object which like bash will replace undefined variables with "".

env is usually an object but it can also be a function to perform lookups. When env(key) returns a string, its result will be output just like env[key] would. When env(key) returns an object, it will be inserted into the result array like the operator objects.

When a bash operator is encountered, the element in the array with be an object with an "op" key set to the operator string. For example:

'beep || boop > /byte'

parses as:

[ 'beep', { op: '||' }, 'boop', { op: '>' }, '/byte' ]

install

With npm do:

npm install shell-quote

license

MIT

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