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WT -? -help --help window should include a link to the command line arguments #6458

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opened 2026-01-31 00:39:14 +00:00 by claunia · 10 comments
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:14 +00:00
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Originally created by @Karl-WE on GitHub (Feb 15, 2020).

Originally assigned to: @carlos-zamora on GitHub.

including a perma link into the help window

currently the help output is very basic.

Usually commands in cmd / powershell will not open a Win32 message box for help (except some few like slmgr, msiexec but print it in the console

including a link or output in console session

Please consider to output the help content into the console session and / or include a permanent link to
https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/blob/master/doc/user-docs/UsingCommandlineArguments.md

for further documentation. . This will help new users

currently the output is a Win32 message box.

Help

wt - the Windows Terminal
Usage: [OPTIONS] [SUBCOMMAND]

Options:
-h,--help Print this help message and exit

Subcommands:
new-tab Create a new tab
split-pane Create a new split pane
focus-tab Move focus to another tab

OK

Originally created by @Karl-WE on GitHub (Feb 15, 2020). Originally assigned to: @carlos-zamora on GitHub. # including a perma link into the help window currently the help output is very basic. Usually commands in cmd / powershell will not open a Win32 message box for help (except some few like slmgr, msiexec but print it in the console # including a link or output in console session Please consider to output the help content into the console session and / or include a permanent link to https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/blob/master/doc/user-docs/UsingCommandlineArguments.md for further documentation. . This will help new users currently the output is a Win32 message box. --------------------------- Help --------------------------- wt - the Windows Terminal Usage: [OPTIONS] [SUBCOMMAND] Options: -h,--help Print this help message and exit Subcommands: new-tab Create a new tab split-pane Create a new split pane focus-tab Move focus to another tab --------------------------- OK ---------------------------
claunia added the Issue-TaskProduct-TerminalArea-Commandline labels 2026-01-31 00:39:14 +00:00
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:15 +00:00
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@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Feb 18, 2020):

Please consider to output the help content into the console session

This is not possible. Sorry. Second section of https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/4570#issuecomment-586551445.

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Feb 18, 2020): > Please consider to output the help content into the console session This is not possible. Sorry. Second section of https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/4570#issuecomment-586551445.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:15 +00:00
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@l1n3n01z commented on GitHub (Jan 1, 2022):

Not sure if this should be another issue, but an improvement would be to be able to copy the text from the dialogs. Currently it's impossible to select and copy the text that appears in the help or version window.

@l1n3n01z commented on GitHub (Jan 1, 2022): Not sure if this should be another issue, but an improvement would be to be able to copy the text from the dialogs. Currently it's impossible to select and copy the text that appears in the help or version window.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:15 +00:00
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@KalleOlaviNiemitalo commented on GitHub (Jun 21, 2024):

@l1n3n01z, you can press Ctrl+C to copy the text from Win32 message boxes like the ones shown by wt --help and wt --version. The message box plays a sound as if it had not understood the key combination, but it copies the text to the clipboard anyway, formatted like this:

---------------------------
Help
---------------------------
Terminale Windows
1.20.11381.0
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------

(Curiously, if you press Ctrl+Insert instead, then the message box likewise copies the text, but it does not play a sound.)

As for showing a link in the wt --help window: it could be done by replacing the message box with a task dialog and handling the TDN_HYPERLINK_CLICKED notification in the callback function. However, the current wt --help window has some ugly misalignment and line wrapping in its two-column tables, and a task dialog wouldn't support such formatting any better than a message box, so a custom dialog box might be a better solution.

@KalleOlaviNiemitalo commented on GitHub (Jun 21, 2024): @l1n3n01z, you can press Ctrl+C to copy the text from Win32 message boxes like the ones shown by `wt --help` and `wt --version`. The message box plays a sound as if it had not understood the key combination, but it copies the text to the clipboard anyway, formatted like this: ``` --------------------------- Help --------------------------- Terminale Windows 1.20.11381.0 --------------------------- OK --------------------------- ``` (Curiously, if you press Ctrl+Insert instead, then the message box likewise copies the text, but it does not play a sound.) As for showing a link in the `wt --help` window: it could be done by replacing the message box with a [task dialog](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/controls/task-dialogs) and handling the [TDN_HYPERLINK_CLICKED](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/controls/tdn-hyperlink-clicked) notification in the callback function. However, the current `wt --help` window has some ugly misalignment and line wrapping in its two-column tables, and a task dialog wouldn't support such formatting any better than a message box, so a custom dialog box might be a better solution.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:15 +00:00
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@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 4, 2025):

Since this is very low on the priority list, this should really just open the link in the browser.
I believe Git does this by default on new windows installs.

I don't intend to be rude, but no one wants this behavior.

@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 4, 2025): Since this is very low on the priority list, this should *really* just open the link in the browser. I believe [Git does this](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-help) by default on new windows installs. I don't intend to be rude, but no one wants this behavior.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@DHowett commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025):

this should really just open the link in the browser.

We do not currently have fully translated commandline help documentation in HTML format available offline, which makes this rather more difficult to accomplish. It is a good idea though.

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025): > this should really just open the link in the browser. We do not currently have fully translated commandline help documentation in HTML format _available offline,_ which makes this rather more difficult to accomplish. It is a good idea though.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025):

So the current implementation would not work offline either? Not sure I'm understanding you here

@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025): So the current implementation would not work offline either? Not sure I'm understanding you here
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@DHowett commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025):

Oh. Since you suggested that we launch the browser (and suggested the git documentation as an example) it follows that we should have the content formatted for consumption with a browser. So, HTML.

(Annoying implementation detail: our --help output is constructed from a bunch of individually localized strings and formatted into the shape of a normal help report by CLI11; we don't have a pipeline in place to stitch those strings together into a separate document to which we could point the browser.)

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025): Oh. Since you suggested that we launch the browser (and suggested the git documentation as an example) it follows that we should have the content formatted for consumption with a browser. So, HTML. (Annoying implementation detail: our `--help` output is constructed from a bunch of individually localized strings and formatted into the shape of a normal help report by `CLI11`; we don't have a pipeline in place to stitch those strings together into a separate document to which we could point the browser.)
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025):

I wrote a script which pulls the existing, complete documentation from learn.microsoft.com.

I figure that localization is already completed , so duplicating work serves no purpose.

I'm not sure of the documentation pipeline with learn.microsoft.com, but I don't believe it references this repository. This also serves to keep things in sync, if that is the case.

You can see the output of the script and the simple example here: http://github.com/eissar/example-wt-docs
Let me know what you think of this approach.

@eissar commented on GitHub (Oct 6, 2025): I wrote a script which pulls the existing, complete documentation from learn.microsoft.com. I figure that localization is already completed , so duplicating work serves no purpose. I'm not sure of the documentation pipeline with learn.microsoft.com, but I don't believe it references this repository. This also serves to keep things in sync, if that is the case. You can see the output of the script and the simple example here: http://github.com/eissar/example-wt-docs Let me know what you think of this approach.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@Karl-WE commented on GitHub (Oct 8, 2025):

@DHowett-MSFT is it possible to do this:

Output a https link in help output.
Eventually Microsoft Terminal will automatically render the link and shift click will open it

@Karl-WE commented on GitHub (Oct 8, 2025): @DHowett-MSFT is it possible to do this: Output a https link in help output. Eventually Microsoft Terminal will automatically render the link and shift click will open it
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:39:16 +00:00
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@eissar commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025):

@DHowett I would also like to mention that the script pulls all available locales from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/locale/ which should cover any localization concerns.

@eissar commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025): @DHowett I would also like to mention that [the script](https://github.com/eissar/example-wt-docs) pulls all available locales from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/locale/ which should cover any localization concerns.
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