Calling a python function with options from shell script

Question

I have a python script which takes various options from the command line

e.g.

-runs with gui

python myscript.py -gui

-runs without requiring user prompts

python myscript.py -aut

-runs with input data taken from input.py

python myscript.py input.py

-and combinations of the above e.g. runs automatically taking input from input.py

python myscript.py -aut input.py

I would like to be able to call this from anywhere on my linux box. How can I do this? I have tried aliasing this in my .bashrc file, but using this method it is unable to accept any of the input options. I have also tried

export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/folder/above_myscript/

but this only recognises the command if I type myscript, not python myscript . Typing just myscript obviously is unable to run the python script.

I have also tried writing a shell script which I could call.

#!/bin/bash
#file: myscript.sh

python '/path/to/folder/above_myscript/myscript.py'

However, again I am also unable to pass any options to it. What is the best solution to this problem?

Songy · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-04 15:09:19Z

4

If you add #!/usr/bin/env python to the top of your myscript.py file and run chmod +x myscript.py on it you should be able to run myscript.py without needing to put python before it. This should let you use the PATH changing method you had before.

answered Jun 4, 2015 at 15:09

Songy

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4 Comments

218 Over a year ago

This nearly works for me. However, within myscript.py I have a subprocess command which calls myscript_gui.py, which then calls some image files. myscript.py can't find myscript_gui.py unless I explicitly include the path to this file and myscript_gui.py can't find the image files either. Is there a way for python to use what's already on my linux path to run the gui?

Songy Over a year ago

@218 stackoverflow.com/a/246128/3447365 This answer shows you how to get the directory of the script you are calling. If the myscript_gui.py script is in the same directory, which i'm assuming it is? Then you can prepend the directory path to where you call it and it should work :)

218 Over a year ago

I'm afraid I don't understand how to do that - the link is for bash script which python can't read so DIR=$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd ) just returns SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Songy Over a year ago

@218 Sorry I must have derped big time, was answering a bash question a the time also :) In python you can use os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) to get the directory that the script is in. You can then attach this to the start of your myscript_gui.py script to get the location of it :)

Philippe T. · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-04 15:00:58Z

0

try this :

python /path/to/folder/above_myscript/myscript.py

or this :

cd /path/to/folder/above_myscript && python myscript.py

on your shell script.

answered Jun 4, 2015 at 15:00

Philippe T.

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