Time dependent real number options accept base ten numbers with optional fractional components. Additionally, leading zeros are ignored and numbers can be specified in scientific notation using 'e' syntax. Commas or place delimiters are not supported. In the simplest form this is just a constant value for all time.

The accepted range and interpretation depends on the context of the option.

Option set to a finite number
--switch=0
--switch=20.5
--switch=-3E-1

In some contexts number options may accept undefined values. This indicates to the program that the option was set by the caller but not to a specific value. This is commonly used to indicate an explicitly infinite value.

Undefined values

  • An empty value

  • The word undef

  • The word undefined

  • The word inf

  • The word infinity

  • The word mvc

Option set to undefined
--switch
--switch=undef
--switch=Undefined
--switch=inf
--switch=INFINITY
--switch=mvc

If the option contains a / then it is treated as time dependent. In this context the value is split into fields separated by , with the first field being the interval and all further ones specifying the time range. This means that the number in the first field is the value for the time range specified in subsequent ones.

Time dependency
--switch=1.0,,2016:10/2.0,2016:10,
--switch='23,,2016/-1E3,2016'