Added

• .addHelpOption() as another way of configuring built-in help option (#2006)
• .helpCommand() for configuring built-in help command (#2087)

Fixed

• Breaking: use non-zero exit code when spawned executable subcommand terminates due to a signal (#2023)
• Breaking: check passThroughOptions constraints when using .addCommand and throw if parent command does not have .enablePositionalOptions() enabled (#1937)

Changed

• Breaking: Commander 12 requires Node.js v18 or higher (#2027)
• Breaking: throw an error if add an option with a flag which is already in use (#2055)
• Breaking: throw an error if add a command with name or alias which is already in use (#2059)
• Breaking: throw error when calling .storeOptionsAsProperties() after setting an option value (#1928)
• replace non-standard JSDoc of @api private with documented @private (#1949)
• .addHelpCommand() now takes a Command (passing string or boolean still works as before but deprecated) (#2087)
• refactor internal implementation of built-in help option (#2006)
• refactor internal implementation of built-in help command (#2087)

Deprecated

• .addHelpCommand() passing string or boolean (use .helpCommand() or pass a Command) (#2087)

Removed

• Breaking: removed default export of a global Command instance from CommonJS (use the named program export instead) (#2017)

Migration Tips

global program

If you are using the deprecated default import of the global Command object, you need to switch to using a named import (or create a new Command).

// const program = require('commander');
const { program } = require('commander');

option and command clashes

A couple of configuration problems now throw an error, which will pick up issues in existing programs:

• adding an option which uses the same flag as a previous option
• adding a command which uses the same name or alias as a previous command