argparse_reminder.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

import argparse

if __name__ == '__main__':

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="""
        I never freaking remember argparse syntax and the docs are so all over the place
        that I need this for an example.
    """)

    # https://docs.python.org/dev/library/argparse.html#the-add-argument-method
    parser.add_argument('thing', metavar='thing', nargs='+', help='we get to have 1 or more of these')
    parser.add_argument('--stringlist', nargs='+', help='also, one or more space separated items')
    parser.add_argument('--stringthing', default='something', help='helpful message')
    parser.add_argument('--flag', action='store_true', help='your basic flag')
    parser.add_argument('--count', type=int, default=1, help='we can have types of things')
    parser.add_argument('--filehandle', type=argparse.FileType('r'), help='use a file type to get a filehandle')
    parser.add_argument('--item', choices=[1,2,3], help='restrict from list of choices')
    parser.add_argument('--1', action='store_const', dest='const', default=0, const=1, help='multiple flags to set one argument')
    parser.add_argument('--2', action='store_const', dest='const', default=0, const=2, help='... from a set of flags')
    parser.add_argument('--3', action='store_const', dest='const', default=0, const=3, help='...  specify a default value when no flags are set')
    args = parser.parse_args()
    
    print args