Extract arguments from python script

Question

let me explain what I have in mind to do in order to give you some context. I have a bunch of python scripts ( that use argpars or optpars ) and their outputs can be usually on the consolle in json, plaint text or csv format.

I would like to build an webapp ( angular + node for instance) that generates automatically a web page for each of my script including some input box for any of the argument needed by the python script in order to run them form the UI.

I do not want to write, for each python script, the list and type of arguments that they needs to be run, but I am looking for an automatic way to extract such list form each python script itself.

I can try to parse the -h output for each of the script or parse the script itself ( add_option) but it maybe error prone.

Are you aware of any tools/script/module that allow me to do it automatically?

Thanks a lot.

Assuming that each script supports -h, maybe docopt could parse the result. — Robᵩ
– Robᵩ, Commented May 2, 2016 at 17:11
@Robᵩ Thanks, but it looks more an alternative to argparse ect.. — Vincenzo
– Vincenzo, Commented May 2, 2016 at 17:17
You misunderstand. I mean that you should run somescript -h, capture the output, pass that output to docopt's parser, and use the resulting data structure to generate your HTML. You would not be using doctopt as it was intended. — Robᵩ
– Robᵩ, Commented May 2, 2016 at 17:23
Docopt makes the options definition be the -h output, so it will help where argparse would be prone to inconsistencies. — JulienD
– JulienD, Commented May 2, 2016 at 17:24
@Robᵩ Cool idea but, I just made a test, and it is working so and so for me, for instance """test.py usage: spyder.py [-h] [-i INPUT] [-o OUTPUT] optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -i INPUT, --input INPUT Input log file -o OUTPUT, --output OUTPUT Output """ Is parsed as: {'--help': False, '--input': None, '--output': None} would be cool to get the help itself too — Vincenzo
– Vincenzo, Commented May 2, 2016 at 17:31

user6275647 · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-02 17:24:20Z

1

The inspect module will help here:

>>> import inspect
>>> def example_function(a, b, c=1234):
        pass
>>> inspect.getargspec(example_function)
ArgSpec(args=['a', 'b', 'c'], varargs=None, keywords=None, defaults=(1234,))

answered May 2, 2016 at 17:24

user6275647

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hpaulj Over a year ago

The plac package (pypi.python.org/pypi/plac) uses inspect like this to create a parser that can run such a function. It creates arguments that correspond to the functions arguments. But I don't think that helps with inspecting a script that is already using argparse.

hpaulj · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-02 18:08:44Z

1

You may have to elaborate on what access you have to the scripts and their parsers. Are they black boxes that you can only invoke with -h and get back a help or usage message, or can you inspect the parser?

For example when using argparse, you make a parser, assign it some attributes and create argument Actions. Those action objects are collected in a list, parser._actions.

Look at parser.format_help and parser.format_usage methods to see what values are passed to the help formatter to create the string displays.

Apart from examining the argparse.py file, I'd suggest creating a parser in an interactive session, and examine the objects that are created.

answered May 2, 2016 at 18:08

hpaulj

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