Python argparse: Mutually exclusive required group with a required option
Question:
I am trying to have a required mutually exclusive group with one required parameter. Below is the code which I have put
#!/usr/bin/python
import argparse
import sys
# Check for the option provided as part of arguments
def parseArgv():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
group.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", choices=[1,2,3,4],
help = "Increase verbosity")
group.add_argument("-q", "--quiet", action="store_true", help = "Run quietly")
name = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
name.add_argument("-n", "--name", help = "Name of the virtual machine")
name.add_argument("-t", "--template", help = "Name of the template to use
for creating vm. If path is not provided then it will be looked
under template directory.")
parser.add_argument("-s", "--save", help = "Save the machine template. If
path is not provided then it will be saved under template directory.");
#parser.add_argument("-k", "--kick_start", required = True, help = "Name of the
# kick start file. If path is not provided then it will be look into http
# directory.")
if len(sys.argv) == 1:
parser.print_help()
args = parser.parse_args()
if __name__ == '__main__':
parseArgv()
Now the output of this program as follow
$ python test.py
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE]
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v {1,2,3,4}, --verbose {1,2,3,4}
Increase verbosity
-q, --quiet Run quietly
-n NAME, --name NAME Name of the virtual machine
-t TEMPLATE, --template TEMPLATE
Name of the template to use for creating vm. If path
is not provided then it will be looked under template
directory.
-s SAVE, --save SAVE Save the machine template. If path is not provided
then it will be saved under template directory.
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE]
test.py: error: one of the arguments -n/--name -t/--template is required
But if I un-comment the from line 20 – 22 then the output change as below
$ python test.py
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE] -k
KICK_START
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v {1,2,3,4}, --verbose {1,2,3,4}
Increase verbosity
-q, --quiet Run quietly
-n NAME, --name NAME Name of the virtual machine
-t TEMPLATE, --template TEMPLATE
Name of the template to use for creating vm. If path
is not provided then it will be looked under template
directory.
-s SAVE, --save SAVE Save the machine template. If path is not provided
then it will be saved under template directory.
-k KICK_START, --kick_start KICK_START
Name of the kick start file. If path is not provided
then it will be look into http directory.
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE] -k
KICK_START
test.py: error: argument -k/--kick_start is required
But I want that either -n / -t along with -k become mandatory. How to achieve the same.
Answers:
You have already achieved it! Argparse only prints the first error it finds, so while it may look like it’s only checking -k, it actually recuires -n/-t too. You can see this by actually giving it the -k argument.
If you provide the -k argument, the error message will change from test.py: error: argument -k/--kick_start is required
to test.py: error: one of the arguments -n/--name -t/--template is required
.
I am trying to have a required mutually exclusive group with one required parameter. Below is the code which I have put
#!/usr/bin/python
import argparse
import sys
# Check for the option provided as part of arguments
def parseArgv():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
group.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", choices=[1,2,3,4],
help = "Increase verbosity")
group.add_argument("-q", "--quiet", action="store_true", help = "Run quietly")
name = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
name.add_argument("-n", "--name", help = "Name of the virtual machine")
name.add_argument("-t", "--template", help = "Name of the template to use
for creating vm. If path is not provided then it will be looked
under template directory.")
parser.add_argument("-s", "--save", help = "Save the machine template. If
path is not provided then it will be saved under template directory.");
#parser.add_argument("-k", "--kick_start", required = True, help = "Name of the
# kick start file. If path is not provided then it will be look into http
# directory.")
if len(sys.argv) == 1:
parser.print_help()
args = parser.parse_args()
if __name__ == '__main__':
parseArgv()
Now the output of this program as follow
$ python test.py
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE]
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v {1,2,3,4}, --verbose {1,2,3,4}
Increase verbosity
-q, --quiet Run quietly
-n NAME, --name NAME Name of the virtual machine
-t TEMPLATE, --template TEMPLATE
Name of the template to use for creating vm. If path
is not provided then it will be looked under template
directory.
-s SAVE, --save SAVE Save the machine template. If path is not provided
then it will be saved under template directory.
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE]
test.py: error: one of the arguments -n/--name -t/--template is required
But if I un-comment the from line 20 – 22 then the output change as below
$ python test.py
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE] -k
KICK_START
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v {1,2,3,4}, --verbose {1,2,3,4}
Increase verbosity
-q, --quiet Run quietly
-n NAME, --name NAME Name of the virtual machine
-t TEMPLATE, --template TEMPLATE
Name of the template to use for creating vm. If path
is not provided then it will be looked under template
directory.
-s SAVE, --save SAVE Save the machine template. If path is not provided
then it will be saved under template directory.
-k KICK_START, --kick_start KICK_START
Name of the kick start file. If path is not provided
then it will be look into http directory.
usage: test.py [-h] [-v {1,2,3,4} | -q] (-n NAME | -t TEMPLATE) [-s SAVE] -k
KICK_START
test.py: error: argument -k/--kick_start is required
But I want that either -n / -t along with -k become mandatory. How to achieve the same.
You have already achieved it! Argparse only prints the first error it finds, so while it may look like it’s only checking -k, it actually recuires -n/-t too. You can see this by actually giving it the -k argument.
If you provide the -k argument, the error message will change from test.py: error: argument -k/--kick_start is required
to test.py: error: one of the arguments -n/--name -t/--template is required
.