How To Format Command Line Argument Key Value Pairs -

a typical format command line arguments is:

myapp --myarg=myvalue 

what if want pass in set of key value pairs through command line? like:

myapp --mylist={arg1=val1;arg2=val2;arg3=val3...} 

since there seems no standard sort of thing, can provide examples well-used utilities have sort of command line argument input? poked around man pages didn't find any.

edit: i'm wondering both how input should formatted , text might like.

i think largely depends on how parse arguments in program.

here examples programs accept multiple key-value pair values.

man php:

   --define foo[=bar]    -d foo[=bar]   define ini entry foo value bar 

man git:

   -c <name>=<value>        pass configuration parameter command. value given        override values configuration files. <name> expected in        same format listed git config (subkeys separated        dots). 

for both, 1 can pass multiple -d or -c arguments programs gives ability supply list of key-value pairs programs.

imo, it's not big problem having own style of accepting lists of key-value pairs program long works , well-documented. :)

p.s.: think question more appropriate placed on programmers stack exchange rather on so. see here , here.