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.TH "PORT\-VARIANTS" "1" "2\&.10\&.99" "MacPorts 2\&.10\&.99" "MacPorts Manual"
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.SH "NAME"
port-variants \- Print a list of variants with descriptions provided by a port
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.sp
.nf
\fBport\fR [\fB\-qvd\fR] [\fB\-D\fR \fIportdir\fR] \fBvariants\fR [\-\-index]
     [[\fIportname\fR | \fIpseudo\-portname\fR | \fIport\-expressions\fR | \fIport\-url\fR]]
     [+/\-variant \&...]
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.sp
\fBport variants\fR prints a list of variants provided by the port(s) given on the command line\&. Variants allow users to select certain features when installing a certain port\&. For example, the gtk3 port provides two conflicting variants \fI+quartz\fR and \fI+x11\fR that select whether Gtk uses the X11 backend (which requires an X server) or the macOS\-native Quartz backend (which attempts to provide a more native macOS look and feel)\&. In addition, many ports feature an \fI+universal\fR variant that enables building of universal (i\&.e\&. multi\-arch) binaries\&.
.sp
\fBport variants\fR lists all variants by name and (if available) description\&. If variants depend on or conflict with other variants, this information is printed as a bulleted list for each variant\&.
.sp
The output of \fBport variants\fR contains \fI[+]\fR before a variant name, if the port declares this variant as default\&. \fI(+)\fR or \fI(\-)\fR in the same spot mark variants enabled or disabled by your \fBvariants.conf\fR(5)\&. Last, a single \fI+\fR or \fI\-\fR marks variants explicitly enabled or disabled on the command line by appending \fI+variantname\fR or \fI\-variantname\fR\&.
.SH "OPTIONS"
.PP
\fB\-\-index\fR
.RS 4
Do not read the
\fIPortfile\fR, but rely solely on the port index information\&. Note that this will limit the output to the variant names only\&. No descriptions, dependencies or conflicts between variants will be reported\&.
.RE
.SH "GLOBAL OPTIONS"
.sp
Please see the section \fBGLOBAL OPTIONS\fR in the \fBport\fR(1) man page for a description of global port options\&.
.PP
\fB\-q\fR
.RS 4
Do not print the header line\&.
.RE
.SH "EXAMPLES"
.sp
The output of \fBport variants\fR provides all available information on a port\(cqs variants\&. The gtk3 port can serve as a good example:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
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.nf
$> port variants gtk3 \-universal
gtk3 has the variants:
(+)quartz: Enable native macOS graphics support
     * conflicts with x11
  \-universal: Build for multiple architectures
[+]x11: Enable X11 support
     * conflicts with quartz
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.sp
In this case, \fI(+)\fR means that we have chosen \fI+quartz\fR as a default variant in our \fBvariants.conf\fR(5)\&. Additionally, we have explicitly disabled the universal variant on the command line, as indicated by its leading \fI\-\fR symbol\&. Finally, the port maintainer has chosen \fI+x11\fR as the default, indicated by \fI[+]\fR\&. Furthermore, the \fIquartz\fR and \fIx11\fR variants conflict with each other\&.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.sp
\fBport\fR(1)
.SH "AUTHORS"
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
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.nf
(C) 2015 The MacPorts Project
Clemens Lang <cal@macports\&.org>
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}