How to remove the default use: XXX [command]

[moshangxi]

This is a problem that has bothered me for a long time. I found some solutions, which are not ideal. Therefore, I want to ask how to solve it: when there are sub commands, the parent command help information will generate XXX [command] by default. for example：

var RootCmd = &cobra.Command{
	Use:   "father",
	Short: "a root command",
	Run: func(command *cobra.Command, args []string) {
		fmt.Println("this is father")
	},
}

var grandson = &cobra.Command{
	Use:   "grandson",
	Short: "a grandson command",
	Run: func(command *cobra.Command, args []string) {
		fmt.Println("this is grandson")
	},
}

var subCmd = &cobra.Command{
	Use:   "child",
	Short: "a sub command",
	Run: func(command *cobra.Command, args []string) {
		fmt.Println("this is child")
	},
}

func init() {
	subCmd.AddCommand(grandson)
	RootCmd.AddCommand(subCmd)
}

func main(){
	if err := RootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
		os.Exit(1)
	}
}

Input:

$ main.exe -h

Output results:

a root command

Usage:
  father [flags]
  father [command]

Available Commands:
  child       a sub command
  completion  generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell
  help        Help about any command

Flags:
  -h, --help   help for father

Something unexpected has occurred：Usage : father [command]. How do I eliminate it ?

[marckhouzam]

Hi @moshangxi.

Something unexpected has occurred：Usage : father [command].

Why do you feel this is unexpected? The example code specified that the root command is named father and that it has subcommands, therefore Cobra indicates that the user can call the program using father [command] where the choice of commands is listed in the rest of the help output.

[umarcor]

There is work in progress in #842 for reworking the usage and the error messages. However, it is on hold because it's based on #841.

[moshangxi]

Hi @moshangxi.

Something unexpected has occurred：Usage : father [command].

Why do you feel this is unexpected? The example code specified that the root command is named father and that it has subcommands, therefore Cobra indicates that the user can call the program using father [command] where the choice of commands is listed in the rest of the help output.

[moshangxi]

I want show it like this: Usage : father [command][flages]

[moshangxi]

This problem is solved by SetHelpTemplate(template) , see #1505 for more details.