script as module and executable

Question

I have a script in python that can be invoked from the command-line and uses optparse.
```
script -i arg1 -j arg2
```
In this case I use (options, args) = parser.parse_args() to create options then use options.arg1 to get arguments.

But I also want it to be importable as a module.

from script import *
function(arg1=arg1, arg2=arg2)

I've managed to do this using a really lame solution: by providing a dummy object.

def main():
    class Options:
        ''' dummy object '''
        def __init__(self):
            pass
    options = Options
    for k in kwargs:
        setattr(options, k, kwargs[k])

The rest of the script doesn't know the difference but I think this solution is fugly.

Is there a better solution to this?

for k in **kwargs:? can you paste the actual code you are using? — John La Rooy
– John La Rooy, Commented Jul 27, 2010 at 21:25
That's actually not a bad solution. Just FYI though, you can remove the init and just have "class Options: pass". I've often wondered why Python doesn't come with a built-in "null class" that lets you set any attributes on it, as you can't do with a plain object(). — Walter Mundt
– Walter Mundt, Commented Jul 27, 2010 at 21:29

2 revs · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-27 22:55:50Z

6

Separate the CLI from the workhorse class:

class Main(object):
    def __init__(self,arg1,arg2):
        ...
    def run(self):
        pass

if __name__=='__main__':
    import optparse
    class CLI(object):
        def parse_options(self):
            usage = 'usage: %prog [options]'+__usage__
            parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage)
            parser.add_option('-i', dest='arg1')
            parser.add_option('-j', dest='arg2') 
            (self.opt, self.args) = parser.parse_args()
        def run(self):
            self.parse_options()        
            Main(self.opt.arg1,self.opt.arg2).run()
    CLI().run()

edited Jul 27, 2010 at 22:55

community wiki

2 revs
unutbu

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Comments

Alejandro · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-27 21:19:22Z

2

What you usually do is:

def foo():
    print 'This is available when imported as a module.'

if __name__ == '__main__':
    print 'This is executed when run as script, but not when imported.'

answered Jul 27, 2010 at 21:19

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