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Issue python#16933 (merge from 3.3): Improve choices examples in argp…
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…arse docs.
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cjerdonek committed Jan 12, 2013
2 parents 1ba81ee + 71e39fb commit eb9e885
Showing 1 changed file with 24 additions and 23 deletions.
47 changes: 24 additions & 23 deletions Doc/library/argparse.rst
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -1022,32 +1022,33 @@ choices
^^^^^^^

Some command-line arguments should be selected from a restricted set of values.
These can be handled by passing a container object as the ``choices`` keyword
These can be handled by passing a container object as the *choices* keyword
argument to :meth:`~ArgumentParser.add_argument`. When the command line is
parsed, argument values will be checked, and an error message will be displayed if
the argument was not one of the acceptable values::

>>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='PROG')
>>> parser.add_argument('foo', choices='abc')
>>> parser.parse_args('c'.split())
Namespace(foo='c')
>>> parser.parse_args('X'.split())
usage: PROG [-h] {a,b,c}
PROG: error: argument foo: invalid choice: 'X' (choose from 'a', 'b', 'c')

Note that inclusion in the ``choices`` container is checked after any type_
conversions have been performed, so the type of the objects in the ``choices``
parsed, argument values will be checked, and an error message will be displayed
if the argument was not one of the acceptable values::

>>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='game.py')
>>> parser.add_argument('move', choices=['rock', 'paper', 'scissors'])
>>> parser.parse_args(['rock'])
Namespace(move='rock')
>>> parser.parse_args(['fire'])
usage: game.py [-h] {rock,paper,scissors}
game.py: error: argument move: invalid choice: 'fire' (choose from 'rock',
'paper', 'scissors')

Note that inclusion in the *choices* container is checked after any type_
conversions have been performed, so the type of the objects in the *choices*
container should match the type_ specified::

>>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='PROG')
>>> parser.add_argument('foo', type=complex, choices=[1, 1j])
>>> parser.parse_args('1j'.split())
Namespace(foo=1j)
>>> parser.parse_args('-- -4'.split())
usage: PROG [-h] {1,1j}
PROG: error: argument foo: invalid choice: (-4+0j) (choose from 1, 1j)

Any object that supports the ``in`` operator can be passed as the ``choices``
>>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='doors.py')
>>> parser.add_argument('door', type=int, choices=range(1, 4))
>>> print(parser.parse_args(['3']))
Namespace(door=3)
>>> parser.parse_args(['4'])
usage: doors.py [-h] {1,2,3}
doors.py: error: argument door: invalid choice: 4 (choose from 1, 2, 3)

Any object that supports the ``in`` operator can be passed as the *choices*
value, so :class:`dict` objects, :class:`set` objects, custom containers,
etc. are all supported.

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