How can I get the name/file of the script from sitecustomize.py?

Question

When I run any Python script, I would like to see the script's filename appear in the Windows command line window's titlebar. For example, if I run a script called "mytest.py", I want to see "mytest" in the titlebar. I would like this to be automatic, so I don't have to add code to every one of my scripts.

Currently I'm attempting to do this with sitecustomize.py, because when Python is run, including from double-clicking a Python script, sitecustomize is imported before the script runs.

I've tried getting __main__'s __file__ and sys.argv, but sitecustomize doesn't see either:

file sitecustomize.py:

import __main__, sys
print "hasattr __main__.__file__:", hasattr(__main__, "__file__")
print "hasattr sys.argv:", hasattr(sys, "argv")
print "-" * 60

file mytest.py:

import sys
print "__file__ is:", __file__
print "sys.argv is:", sys.argv
raw_input() # don't end the script immediately

output:

hasattr __main__.__file__: False
hasattr sys.argv: False
------------------------------------------------------------
__file__ is: C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\mytest.py
sys.argv is: ['C:\\Documents and Settings\\Owner\\Desktop\\mytest.py']

I am not sure what your question is? Why can't you just use __file__ ? — Nix
– Nix, Commented Jun 26, 2011 at 18:11
I want to do it for every script, without adding it to every one of my python scripts manually. sitecustomize.py is imported any time Python starts up. Is something else unclear? — KeJi
– KeJi, Commented Jun 26, 2011 at 18:20
Your question does not make sense, hence no answers. Please show us how you are planing on using this. — Nix
– Nix, Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 17:12
I tried rephrasing my question. I hope it's easier to understand. I'm just planning on using it for my own convenience - say if I have many scripts open, I want to identify them at a glance. — KeJi
– KeJi, Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 21:08

Ethan Furman · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-31 19:50:45Z

5

I'm glad you asked! I now have it working for my scripts, and it's pretty cool.

Here's the code:

import sys
import time
from ctypes import windll

class SetTitle(object):
    def __del__(self):
        time.sleep(1)
        command = ' '.join(sys.argv)
        windll.kernel32.SetConsoleTitleA(command)

sys.argv = SetTitle()

This is for Python 2.x -- for 3.x you need to change SetConsoleTitleA to SetConsoleTitleW (last letter changes from A to W).

How it works: since the sys.argv object does yet exist, I create an object and assign it to sys.argv; then, when Python assigns the actual argv to sys.argv, my object is tossed, and the __del__ method is called; the __del__ method is then able to access the real argv and set the title bar accordingly. I put the 1 second sleep in just to avoid any possible race conditions, but I'm not sure it's necessary. If you don't want to see all the command-line args, you can pre-process command any way you like.

My thanks to the folks on python-win32 mailing list, and Thomas Heller in particular, for helping with the 'set title' portion of this question.

edited Jul 31, 2011 at 19:50

answered Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43

Ethan Furman

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2 Comments

Piotr Dobrogost Over a year ago

Wouldn't it be cleaner to make sys.argv a descriptor?

Ethan Furman Over a year ago

@PiotrDobrogost: descriptors only work with class attributes, and argv is a module attribute. So, if it could work, it would be cleaner -- but it won't.

DomCyrus · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-29 09:11:18Z

When I run any Python script, I would like to see the script's filename appear in the Windows command line window's titlebar. For example, if I run a script called "mytest.py", I want to see "mytest" in the titlebar. I would like this to be automatic, so I don't have to add code to every one of my scripts.

I think you should add this functionality to all your scripts by a module and not by hacking it into sitecustomize.py. Also even if you still want to go the sitecustomize path you will need to pass __file__ from your script, which means you will not get around to add some code to all your scripts.

What you certainly can do is to put that code into a module and then import it in all your python scripts. Like I mentioned above, you need to pass __file__ from your main script otherwise you will get the modules filename. Also there is no need to import __main__ to retrieve __file__.

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