Python Argparse

Primer: Arguments vs Parameters

I’m sometimes confused. Is it an argument or a parameter? So here it goes:

A parameter is a variable in a function definition.

When a function is called, the arguments are the data you pass into the function’s parameters.

The same goes for a program: A program has parameters, you call a program with arguments.

Argparse Module

Batteries included! The argparse module provides a nice way to parse your program arguments:

import argparse

if __name__ == '__main__':
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument('positional_param')
    parser.add_argument('-o', '--optional_param')
    parser.add_argument('-r', '--required_param', required=True)
    args = parser.parse_args()
    print(args.positional_param)
    print(args.optional_param)
    print(args.required_param)

Positional Parameters

Positional arguments are useful for shorter programs. These parameters do not have a name. You could call them “unnamed parameters” as well.

It is important that you keep the right sequence when calling the program:

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument('positional_param_one')
parser.add_argument('positional_param_two')
args = parser.parse_args()
print(args.positional_param_one)
print(args.positional_param_two)

$ python positional_args.py foo bar
foo
bar

Optional Parameters

Optional parameters have a name you have to use when providing an argument to the program

parser.add_argument('--optional_param')

The double dash indicates an optional parameter

You can provide a shorthand for an optional parameter as well

parser.add_argument('-o', '--optional_param')

When you leave out an optional argument, the value will be defaulted to None

Two ways of calling a program with optional arguments:

$python optional_args.py
None

$python optional_args.py --optional_param foobar
foobar

Required “Optional” Parameters

Now it gets a bit weird: You can make an optional parameter required.

(another strong argument that these should be named “named parameters”)

parser.add_argument('-r', '--required_param', required=True)

$ python required_params.py
usage: required_params.py [-h] -r REQUIRED_PARAM
required_params.py: error: the following arguments are required: -r/--required_param

$ python required_params.py -r foobar
foobar

$ python main.py -h
usage: main.py [-h] [-o OPTIONAL_PARAM] -r REQUIRED_PARAM positional_param

positional arguments:
positional_param

optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-o OPTIONAL_PARAM, ---optional_param OPTIONAL_PARAM
-r REQUIRED_PARAM, --required_param REQUIRED_PARAM