[Python-ideas] Python 3.4 should include docopt as-is

[anatoly techtonik]

On Sat, Sep 28, 2013 at 1:42 PM, Ned Batchelder <ned at nedbatchelder.com> wrote:
> On 9/28/13 12:44 AM, anatoly techtonik wrote:
>
> This - http://docopt.org/ - should be included with Python 3.4 distribution.
>
>
> In addition to the other questions already asked, you haven't answered the
> fundamental one: Why should docopt be included in the stdlib?

Because it is the easiest and most intuitive way to quickly build
command line parser with a less amount of writing. It also provides
synced help, custom formatting, really short parser definition syntax
and subcommands out of the box.

But the main reason that it is a  'fastest way ever to expose script
functions to command line user interface'. Writing it is as fast as
10x times on average compared to argparse, optparse and getopt
interfaces. 50 minutes on argparse with debug and 5 on docopt. 5
minutes regardless of your experience. For a newbie getting what
argparse does may take more that 50 minutes on average, and it is
still probably the same 5 minutes for docopt.

> It's right
> there in PyPI where any one can get it.  Why is it better in the stdlib than
> in PyPI?

Because you need a Python on your machine. Language with batteries
included. Not a C or Java where probably need to download libraries
even to work with strings. Setting docopt on every machine where you
need to quickly give some variations for execution flow to your
one-time command line script is akin to launching the C compiler with
appropriate include paths.
--
anatoly t.