Run npm commands using Python subprocess

Question

I'm trying to automate the generation of documentation using YUIDOC, but I have a server side framework that heavily uses python, so I'm trying to automate everything from within a python script. I'm able to get the node command to run fine, but whenever I try something I installed using npm, python isn't happy. My project uses Buildout instead of virtualenv, but ideally I'd like to be able to just run these commands from a standalone python file.

Perhaps some code would help explain my situation:

import subprocess
subprocess.check_call('node --help')

#SUCCESS

import subprocess
subprocess.check_call('npm --help')

#FAIL
#WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified

import subprocess
subprocess.check_call('yuidoc --help')

#FAIL
#WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified

I already tried adding the folder where the yuidoc and npm stuff lives to the sys.path of python, but that didn't work.

ps, this is sort of a similar question to this question.

Evan Siroky · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-06 16:53:56Z

26

I needed to specify shell=True in the check_call.

subprocess.check_call('npm --help', shell=True)

subprocess.check_call('yuidoc --help', shell=True)

answered Mar 6, 2015 at 16:53

Evan Siroky

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1 Comment

Mandera Over a year ago

Invoking by shell is not recommended. I suggest check_call('npm.cmd --help'), it's from this answer in the related thread you mentioned

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