# config-argument-parser
[](https://badge.fury.io/py/config-argument-parser)
[](https://pepy.tech/project/config-argument-parser)
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A package to help automatically create command-line interface from configuration or code.
It contains three modules CAP🧢(`ConfigArgumentParser`), TAP🚰(`TypeArgumentParser`), and GAP🕳️(`GlobalArgumentParser`).
Read the documentation [here](http://config-argument-parser.readthedocs.io/).
## Motivation
Configuration files are highly readable and useful for specifying options, but sometimes they are not convenient as command-line interface. However, it requires writing a lot of code to produce a CLI. This package automates the building process, by utilizing the Python standard libraries `configparser` and `argparse`.
The design is to minimize the changes to your original scripts, so as to facilitate maintenance.
## Features
- Only few extra lines are needed to build a CLI from an existing script.
- The comments are parsed as help messages. (Most libraries do not preserve the comments.)
- Consistent format between configuration and script provides ease of use.
## Usage
### Case 1: create CLI from an object
If you use class to store arguments, such as the script `example.py` below.
```Python
import configargparser
class Args:
# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.
a_string = "abc"
a_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted
# Help can span multiple lines.
# This is another line.
a_boolean = False
an_integer = 0
args = Args()
parser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()
parser.parse_obj(args, shorts="sfb")
print(args.a_string)
print(args.a_float)
print(args.a_boolean)
print(args.an_integer)
```
In fact, only the snippet below is added to the original script. Moreover, removing this minimal modification does not affect the original script. `shorts` is optional. If provided, add short options for the first few arguments in order.
```Python
import configargparser
parser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()
parser.parse_obj(args)
```
Default arguments are defined as class attributes, and parsed arguments are stored as instance attributes. The good is that auto-completion can be triggered in editors.
Show help, `python example.py -h`:
```console
$ python example.py -h
usage: example.py [-h] [-s A_STRING] [-f A_FLOAT] [-b] [--an-integer AN_INTEGER]
options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-s A_STRING, --a-string A_STRING
Help message of the first argument. Help is optional. (default: abc)
-f A_FLOAT, --a-float A_FLOAT
a_float (default: 1.23)
-b, --a-boolean Help can span multiple lines. This is another line. (default: False)
--an-integer AN_INTEGER
an_integer (default: 0)
```
Run with options, for example, `python example.py -b -f 1`:
```console
$ python example.py -b -f 1
abc
1.0
True
0
```
Note that the values are changed.
For the best practice, see [Case 4](#case-4-create-cli-from-a-dataclass-object-preferred).
### Case 2: create CLI from configuration
If you use configuration file, create an example script `example.py`:
```Python
import configargparser
parser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()
parser.read("config.ini")
parser.parse_args(shorts="sfb")
print("Configs:", parser.defaults)
print("Args: ", parser.args)
```
Create a configuration file `config.ini` in the same directory:
```ini
[DEFAULT]
# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.
a_string = 'abc'
a_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted
# Help can span multiple lines.
# This is another line.
a_boolean = False
an_integer = 0
```
Regular run, `python example.py`:
```console
$ python example.py
Configs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}
Args: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}
```
Run with options, such as `python example.py -b -f 1`:
```console
$ python example.py -b -f 1
Configs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}
Args: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.0, 'a_boolean': True, 'an_integer': 0}
```
### Case 3: create CLI from global variables
If you use global variables, define the variables at top of file as the script `example.py` below:
```Python
# [DEFAULT]
# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.
a_string = "abc"
a_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted
# Help can span multiple lines.
# This is another line.
a_boolean = False
an_integer = 0
# [END]
import configargparser
parser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()
parser.read_py("example.py")
parser.parse_args(shorts="sfb")
# update global variables
globals().update(parser.args)
print(a_string)
print(a_float)
print(a_boolean)
print(an_integer)
```
Use it as in case 1. For example, `python example.py -b -f 1`:
```console
$ python example.py -b -f 1
abc
1.0
True
0
```
### Case 4: create CLI from a dataclass object (preferred)
Suppose you have a script `example.py` below, which uses a `dataclass` object to store arguments:
```Python
from dataclasses import dataclass
@dataclass
class Args:
# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.
a_string: str = "abc"
a_float: float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted
# Help can span multiple lines.
# This is another line.
a_boolean: bool = False
an_integer: int = 0
args = Args()
```
Add these lines to the script to create CLI:
```Python
import configargparser
parser = configargparser.TypeArgumentParser()
parser.parse_obj(args, shorts="sfb")
print(args)
```
Use it as in case 1. For example, `python example.py -b -f 1` to change the values:
```console
$ python example.py -b -f 1
Args(a_string='abc', a_float=1.0, a_boolean=True, an_integer=0)
```
### Case 5: create CLI from global variables (without comments)
This requires less code than case 3, but the comments are not parsed, as the script `example.py` below:
```Python
a_string = "abc"
a_float = 1.23
a_boolean = False
an_integer = 0
import configargparser
parser = configargparser.GlobalArgumentParser()
parser.parse_globals(shorts="sfb")
print(a_string)
print(a_float)
print(a_boolean)
print(an_integer)
```
Use it as in case 1. For example, `python example.py -b -f 1`:
```console
$ python example.py -b -f 1
abc
1.0
True
0
```
## Installation
Install from PyPI:
```bash
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install config-argument-parser
```
Alternatively, install from source:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/yuanx749/config-argument-parser.git
cd config-argument-parser
```
then install in development mode:
```bash
git checkout main
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e .
```
or:
```bash
git checkout dev
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e .[dev]
pre-commit install
```
Uninstall:
```bash
pip uninstall config-argument-parser
```
## Notes
This package uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
Raw data
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"description": "# config-argument-parser\r\n\r\n[](https://badge.fury.io/py/config-argument-parser)\r\n[](https://pepy.tech/project/config-argument-parser)\r\n[](https://app.codacy.com/gh/yuanx749/config-argument-parser/dashboard?utm_source=gh&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Badge_grade)\r\n[](https://codecov.io/gh/yuanx749/config-argument-parser)\r\n[](https://config-argument-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest)\r\n\r\nA package to help automatically create command-line interface from configuration or code.\r\n\r\nIt contains three modules CAP\ud83e\udde2(`ConfigArgumentParser`), TAP\ud83d\udeb0(`TypeArgumentParser`), and GAP\ud83d\udd73\ufe0f(`GlobalArgumentParser`).\r\n\r\nRead the documentation [here](http://config-argument-parser.readthedocs.io/).\r\n\r\n## Motivation\r\n\r\nConfiguration files are highly readable and useful for specifying options, but sometimes they are not convenient as command-line interface. However, it requires writing a lot of code to produce a CLI. This package automates the building process, by utilizing the Python standard libraries `configparser` and `argparse`.\r\n\r\nThe design is to minimize the changes to your original scripts, so as to facilitate maintenance.\r\n\r\n## Features\r\n\r\n- Only few extra lines are needed to build a CLI from an existing script.\r\n- The comments are parsed as help messages. (Most libraries do not preserve the comments.)\r\n- Consistent format between configuration and script provides ease of use.\r\n\r\n## Usage\r\n\r\n### Case 1: create CLI from an object\r\n\r\nIf you use class to store arguments, such as the script `example.py` below.\r\n\r\n```Python\r\nimport configargparser\r\n\r\nclass Args:\r\n # Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.\r\n a_string = \"abc\"\r\n a_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted\r\n # Help can span multiple lines.\r\n # This is another line.\r\n a_boolean = False\r\n an_integer = 0\r\n\r\nargs = Args()\r\n\r\nparser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()\r\nparser.parse_obj(args, shorts=\"sfb\")\r\n\r\nprint(args.a_string)\r\nprint(args.a_float)\r\nprint(args.a_boolean)\r\nprint(args.an_integer)\r\n```\r\n\r\nIn fact, only the snippet below is added to the original script. Moreover, removing this minimal modification does not affect the original script. `shorts` is optional. If provided, add short options for the first few arguments in order.\r\n\r\n```Python\r\nimport configargparser\r\nparser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()\r\nparser.parse_obj(args)\r\n```\r\n\r\nDefault arguments are defined as class attributes, and parsed arguments are stored as instance attributes. The good is that auto-completion can be triggered in editors.\r\n\r\nShow help, `python example.py -h`:\r\n\r\n```console\r\n$ python example.py -h\r\nusage: example.py [-h] [-s A_STRING] [-f A_FLOAT] [-b] [--an-integer AN_INTEGER]\r\n\r\noptions:\r\n -h, --help show this help message and exit\r\n -s A_STRING, --a-string A_STRING\r\n Help message of the first argument. Help is optional. (default: abc)\r\n -f A_FLOAT, --a-float A_FLOAT\r\n a_float (default: 1.23)\r\n -b, --a-boolean Help can span multiple lines. This is another line. (default: False)\r\n --an-integer AN_INTEGER\r\n an_integer (default: 0)\r\n```\r\n\r\nRun with options, for example, `python example.py -b -f 1`:\r\n\r\n```console\r\n$ python example.py -b -f 1\r\nabc\r\n1.0\r\nTrue\r\n0\r\n```\r\n\r\nNote that the values are changed.\r\n\r\nFor the best practice, see [Case 4](#case-4-create-cli-from-a-dataclass-object-preferred).\r\n\r\n### Case 2: create CLI from configuration\r\n\r\nIf you use configuration file, create an example script `example.py`:\r\n\r\n```Python\r\nimport configargparser\r\n\r\nparser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()\r\nparser.read(\"config.ini\")\r\nparser.parse_args(shorts=\"sfb\")\r\n\r\nprint(\"Configs:\", parser.defaults)\r\nprint(\"Args: \", parser.args)\r\n```\r\n\r\nCreate a configuration file `config.ini` in the same directory:\r\n\r\n```ini\r\n[DEFAULT]\r\n# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.\r\na_string = 'abc'\r\na_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted\r\n# Help can span multiple lines.\r\n# This is another line.\r\na_boolean = False\r\nan_integer = 0\r\n```\r\n\r\nRegular run, `python example.py`:\r\n\r\n```console\r\n$ python example.py\r\nConfigs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}\r\nArgs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}\r\n```\r\n\r\nRun with options, such as `python example.py -b -f 1`:\r\n\r\n```console\r\n$ python example.py -b -f 1\r\nConfigs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.23, 'a_boolean': False, 'an_integer': 0}\r\nArgs: {'a_string': 'abc', 'a_float': 1.0, 'a_boolean': True, 'an_integer': 0}\r\n```\r\n\r\n### Case 3: create CLI from global variables\r\n\r\nIf you use global variables, define the variables at top of file as the script `example.py` below:\r\n\r\n```Python\r\n# [DEFAULT]\r\n# Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.\r\na_string = \"abc\"\r\na_float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted\r\n# Help can span multiple lines.\r\n# This is another line.\r\na_boolean = False\r\nan_integer = 0\r\n# [END]\r\n\r\nimport configargparser\r\n\r\nparser = configargparser.ConfigArgumentParser()\r\nparser.read_py(\"example.py\")\r\nparser.parse_args(shorts=\"sfb\")\r\n\r\n# update global variables\r\nglobals().update(parser.args)\r\nprint(a_string)\r\nprint(a_float)\r\nprint(a_boolean)\r\nprint(an_integer)\r\n```\r\n\r\nUse it as in case 1. For example, `python example.py -b -f 1`:\r\n\r\n```console\r\n$ python example.py -b -f 1\r\nabc\r\n1.0\r\nTrue\r\n0\r\n```\r\n\r\n### Case 4: create CLI from a dataclass object (preferred)\r\n\r\nSuppose you have a script `example.py` below, which uses a `dataclass` object to store arguments:\r\n\r\n```Python\r\nfrom dataclasses import dataclass\r\n\r\n@dataclass\r\nclass Args:\r\n # Help message of the first argument. Help is optional.\r\n a_string: str = \"abc\"\r\n a_float: float = 1.23 # inline comments are omitted\r\n # Help can span multiple lines.\r\n # This is another line.\r\n a_boolean: bool = False\r\n an_integer: int = 0\r\n\r\nargs = Args()\r\n```\r\n\r\nAdd these lines to the script to create CLI:\r\n\r\n```Python\r\nimport configargparser\r\nparser = configargparser.TypeArgumentParser()\r\nparser.parse_obj(args, shorts=\"sfb\")\r\n\r\nprint(args)\r\n```\r\n\r\nUse it as in case 1. 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