Print program usage example with argparse module
Question:
I am trying to learn how to use python’s argparse
module. Currently my python script is:
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='My first argparse attempt',
add_help=True)
parser.add_argument("-q", action ="store", dest='argument',
help="First argument")
output = parser.parse_args()
And it gives the output as :
usage: test.py [-h] [-q ARGUMENT]
My first argparse attempt
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-q ARGUMENT First argument
Now, lets suppose I want my -h or --help
argument to print a usage example
also. Like,
Usage: python test.py -q "First Argument for test.py"
My purpose is to print the above usage example along with the default content of -h
argument so that the user can get a basic idea of how to use the test.py
python script.
So, is this functionality inbuilt in the argparse
module. If no than what is the correct way to approach this problem.
Answers:
Use parser.epilog
to display something after the generated -h
text.
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description='My first argparse attempt',
epilog='Example of use')
output = parser.parse_args()
prints:
My first argparse attempt
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
Example of use
I am trying to learn how to use python’s argparse
module. Currently my python script is:
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='My first argparse attempt',
add_help=True)
parser.add_argument("-q", action ="store", dest='argument',
help="First argument")
output = parser.parse_args()
And it gives the output as :
usage: test.py [-h] [-q ARGUMENT]
My first argparse attempt
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-q ARGUMENT First argument
Now, lets suppose I want my -h or --help
argument to print a usage example
also. Like,
Usage: python test.py -q "First Argument for test.py"
My purpose is to print the above usage example along with the default content of -h
argument so that the user can get a basic idea of how to use the test.py
python script.
So, is this functionality inbuilt in the argparse
module. If no than what is the correct way to approach this problem.
Use parser.epilog
to display something after the generated -h
text.
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description='My first argparse attempt',
epilog='Example of use')
output = parser.parse_args()
prints:
My first argparse attempt
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
Example of use