update the command line output to behave better

src/helics/apps/Clone.cpp

@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ void Clone::initialSetup()
 {
     if (!deactivated) {
         fed->setFlagOption(HELICS_FLAG_OBSERVER);
+        if (outFileName.empty()) {
+            outFileName = "clone.json";
+        }
         loadInputFiles();
     }
 }
@@ -374,9 +377,11 @@ std::shared_ptr<helicsCLI11App> Clone::buildArgParserApp()
     app->add_flag("--allow_iteration", allow_iteration, "allow iteration on values")
         ->ignore_underscore();
 
-    app->add_option("--output,-o", outFileName, "the output file for recording the data")
-        ->capture_default_str();
-    app->add_option("capture", captureFederate, "name of the federate to clone");
+    app->add_option(
+        "--capture,capture",
+        captureFederate,
+        "clone all the interfaces of a particular federate federate capture=\"fed1;fed2\"  "
+        "supports multiple arguments or a semicolon/comma separated list");
 
     return app;
 }

src/helics/apps/Clone.hpp

@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ namespace apps {
         std::map<std::string_view, int> eptNames;  //!< translate endpoint name to index
         std::string captureFederate;  //!< storage for the name of the federate to clone
         std::string fedConfig;  //!< storage for the federateConfiguration
-        std::string outFileName{"clone.json"};  //!< the final output file
         std::vector<int> pubPointCount;  //!< a    vector containing the counts of each publication
     };
 

src/helics/apps/Recorder.cpp

@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ void Recorder::initialSetup()
 {
     if (!deactivated) {
         fed->setFlagOption(HELICS_FLAG_OBSERVER);
+        if (outFileName.empty()) {
+            outFileName = "out.txt";
+        }
         loadInputFiles();
     }
 }

src/helics/apps/Recorder.hpp

@@ -165,7 +165,6 @@ namespace apps {
         std::vector<ValueStats> vStat;  //!< storage for statistics capture
         std::vector<std::string> captureInterfaces;  //!< storage for the interfaces to capture
         std::string mapfile;  //!< file name for the on-line file updater
-        std::string outFileName{"out.txt"};  //!< the final output file
     };
 
 }  // namespace apps

src/helics/apps/helicsApp.cpp

@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ std::unique_ptr<helicsCLI11App> App::generateParser()
                     inputFileName,
                     "The primary input file containing app configuration")
         ->check(CLI::ExistingFile);
+    app->add_option("--output,-o", outFileName, "the output file for recording the data")
+        ->capture_default_str();
     app->allow_extras()->validate_positionals();
     return app;
 }

src/helics/apps/helicsApp.hpp

@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ configuration
     Time stopTime = Time::maxVal();  //!< the time the App should stop
     std::string configFileName;  //!< name of the config file used for constructing the federate
     std::string inputFileName;  //!< the name of the app input file
+    std::string outFileName;  //!< the name of any outputfile
     bool useLocal{false};
     bool fileLoaded{false};
     bool deactivated{false};

tests/helics/apps/test_files/trivialrec.json

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+    "autobroker":True,
+    "coretype":"test",
+  "subscriptions": [
+    {
+      "key": "pub1",
+      "type": "double"
+    },
+    {
+      "key": "pub2",
+      "type": "double"
+    }
+  ]
+}