An extensible generic command line parser may receive a list of options associated with an application and a command line to parse. A new command line option may be added to the options that can be parsed by adding the new command line option to the list of options. By receiving a modifiable list of valid options from an application, the parser is extensible, that is, instead of having to modify or recode the parser when a new option is added to the application, the new option may be added to the option file. When the parser receives the option list with the new option or options, any option in the file (including any new ones) may be automatically parsable by the parser.