I believe you want Python 3.7's parse_intermixed_args: https://docs.python.org/3/library/argparse.html#argparse.ArgumentParser.pars... A quick test seems to work: import argparse p = argparse.ArgumentParser() p.add_argument('files', nargs='*') p.add_argument('-f', '--force', action='store_true') print(p.parse_intermixed_args()) $ python3 rm.py x -f y Namespace(files=['x', 'y'], force=True) $ On Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 9:50 PM brent bejot wrote:

Hello all,

Aspiring contributor here. I am not at all certain that this is the right place to discuss this. Do refer me to a better location if I'm out of place.

I would like to add a simple feature to the argparse library. I frequently find myself writing small utilities, stylistically similar to unix's "rm" whose main parameter(s) get bundled into a list and it doesn't matter if flags are sprinkled throughout.

e.g. "rm foo.txt -f bar.txt" removes both foo.txt and bar.txt forcefully.

Doing this in argparse currently is cumbersome at best (though I would be happy to be proved wrong on that), so I rarely implement it as a feature.

Of note, calling parser.add_argument with nargs="..." or nargs="A..." or nargs="*" gets close, but will not allow you to intermix other flags between your list.

I have a working modification of argparse.py that I could commit, but I know there's several steps between here and there - I just don't know what those steps are.

Any direction would be very much appreciated.

Thanks! _______________________________________________ Python-ideas mailing list -- python-ideas@python.org To unsubscribe send an email to python-ideas-leave@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/python-ideas.python.org/ Message archived at https://mail.python.org/archives/list/python-ideas@python.org/message/MPWEGV... Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/

On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 11:01 PM Ryan Gonzalez wrote:

I believe you want Python 3.7's parse_intermixed_args: https://docs.python.org/3/library/argparse.html#argparse.ArgumentParser.pars...

A quick test seems to work:

import argparse

p = argparse.ArgumentParser() p.add_argument('files', nargs='*') p.add_argument('-f', '--force', action='store_true')

print(p.parse_intermixed_args())

$ python3 rm.py x -f y Namespace(files=['x', 'y'], force=True) $

This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. Looks like it was added in 2017 and release in 3.7. The box I use where I investigated this has 3.6 on it. Sigh, well at least I know it was a good idea! Thanks so much!

On Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 9:50 PM brent bejot wrote:

...

Hello all,

Aspiring contributor here. I am not at all certain that this is the right place to discuss this. Do refer me to a better location if I'm out of place.

I would like to add a simple feature to the argparse library. I frequently find myself writing small utilities, stylistically similar to unix's "rm" whose main parameter(s) get bundled into a list and it doesn't matter if flags are sprinkled throughout.

e.g. "rm foo.txt -f bar.txt" removes both foo.txt and bar.txt forcefully.

Doing this in argparse currently is cumbersome at best (though I would be happy to be proved wrong on that), so I rarely implement it as a feature.

Of note, calling parser.add_argument with nargs="..." or nargs="A..." or nargs="*" gets close, but will not allow you to intermix other flags between your list.

I have a working modification of argparse.py that I could commit, but I know there's several steps between here and there - I just don't know what those steps are.

Any direction would be very much appreciated.

Thanks! _______________________________________________ Python-ideas mailing list -- python-ideas@python.org To unsubscribe send an email to python-ideas-leave@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/python-ideas.python.org/ Message archived at https://mail.python.org/archives/list/python-ideas@python.org/message/MPWEGV... Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/

brent bejot writes:

Sigh, well at least I know it was a good idea! Thanks so much!

As I was telling potential advisees a few minutes ago, it's not getting the right answer that gets you a Nobel Prize, it's asking the right question! You'll find more good ideas, I'm sure. Steve -- Associate Professor Division of Policy and Planning Science http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/ Faculty of Systems and Information Email: turnbull@sk.tsukuba.ac.jp University of Tsukuba Tel: 029-853-5175 Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN