[Python-ideas] argparse: --help-explain [options] ...

[anatoly techtonik]

On Fri, Jun 21, 2013 at 7:15 PM, Andrew Barnert <abarnert at yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Jun 21, 2013, at 1:10, anatoly techtonik <techtonik at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > So, the idea is that for such applications with extensive command line
> API, optparse (argparse or docopt) could provide --help-explain (or just
> --explain) option that parses command line and explains what it found.
>
> You mean it shows just the help strings for the options given (in the
> order given?) and nothing else?
>

Exactly.

Although the logic can probably be extended to help users further. Like
checking rules when input option combination is invalid, or should produce
a warning, for example when using deprecated option. But right now I don't
see how it can be implemented easily.

That sounds like it could be pretty handy. And if it only works with valid
> option combinations it sounds like it would be pretty easy too.


I guess so.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/attachments/20130623/4c9def4d/attachment.html>