Description

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2013-07-03.06:16:51.100>
labels = ['type-bug', 'library', '3.9', '3.10', '3.11']
title = 'argparse usage should preserve () in metavars such as range(20)'
updated_at = <Date 2021-12-10.15:48:45.716>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/paulj3'

activity = <Date 2021-12-10.15:48:45.716>
actor = 'iritkatriel'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2013-07-03.06:16:51.100>
creator = 'paul.j3'
dependencies = []
files = ['30754']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 18349
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 5.0
messages = ['192222', '192717', '193077', '193188', '408214']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['paul.j3', 'iritkatriel']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = None
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue18349'
versions = ['Python 3.9', 'Python 3.10', 'Python 3.11']

Activity

1. paulj3 commented on Jul 3, 2013

   

   paulj3mannequin

   on Jul 3, 2013

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   As discussed in bpo-16468, a metavar may be used to provide an alternative representation of a choices option. However if a metvar like 'range(20)' is used, usage formatter strips off the '()'.

       >>> parser.add_argument('foo', type=int, 
           choices=range(20), metavar='range(0,20)')
       >>> parser.format_usage()
       # expect: 'usage: PROG [-h] range(0,20)\n'
       # actual: 'usage: PROG [-h] range0,20\n'

   This is done by a line in the help formater that removes excess mutually exclusive group notation:

   HelpFormatter._format_actions_usage
      ...
      text = _re.sub(r'\(([^|]*)\)', r'\1', text)
   

   A solution is to change this line to distinguish between a case like ' (...)' and 'range(...)'

       text = _re.sub(r'( )\(([^|]*)\)', r'\1\2', text)
2. paulj3

   added

   stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directoryStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory

   type-bugAn unexpected behavior, bug, or errorAn unexpected behavior, bug, or error

   on Jul 3, 2013
3. paulj3 commented on Jul 9, 2013

   

   paulj3mannequin

   on Jul 9, 2013

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   I just posted a patch to http://bugs.python.org/issue16468 that uses (and tests) this fix.
4. paulj3 commented on Jul 15, 2013

   

   paulj3mannequin

   on Jul 15, 2013

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   This issue should also preserve a metavar like: '(one)two', i.e. '(' at the start.

   In http://bugs.python.org/issue10984 these _re replacements are applied to individual action strings as well as the whole usage line. So if () are to be removed from '[-h] (-y)', they should also be removed from '(-y)'.
5. paulj3 commented on Jul 16, 2013

   

   paulj3mannequin

   on Jul 16, 2013

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   I just submitted at patch to http://bugs.python.org/issue11874 that takes care of this issue as well.

   I rewrote _format_actions_usage() so it formats the parts directly, so there is no need cleanup or parse the full text string.
6. iritkatriel commented on Dec 10, 2021

   

   iritkatriel

   on Dec 10, 2021

   Member

   More actions

   Reproduced on 3.11:

   >>> import argparse
   >>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
   >>> parser.add_argument('foo', type=int, choices=range(20), metavar='range(0,20)')
   _StoreAction(option_strings=[], dest='foo', nargs=None, const=None, default=None, type=<class 'int'>, choices=range(0, 20), help=None, metavar='range(0,20)')
   >>> parser.format_usage()
   'usage: [-h] range0,20\n'
7. iritkatriel

   added

   3.9 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.10 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.11only security fixesonly security fixes

   on Dec 10, 2021
8. ezio-melotti

   transferred this issue fromon Apr 10, 2022
9. erlend-aasland

   added this to Argparse issueson May 19, 2022
10. erlend-aasland

    moved this to Bugs in Argparse issueson May 19, 2022
11. hamdanal

    added a commit that references this issue on May 28, 2023

    Simplify argparse usage formatting

    This issue will close once commit 4336ac7 is merged into the 'main' branch.

    4336ac7
12. encukou

    added a commit that references this issue on May 7, 2024

    gh-62090: Simplify argparse usage formatting (GH-105039)

    de1428f
13. encukou commented on May 7, 2024

    

    encukou

    on May 7, 2024

    Member

    More actions

    This was fixed in #102318.
14. encukou

    closed this as completedon May 7, 2024
15. github-project-automation

    moved this from Bugs to Doc issues in Argparse issueson May 7, 2024
16. SonicField

    added a commit that references this issue on May 8, 2024

    pythongh-62090: Simplify argparse usage formatting (pythonGH-105039)

    8047c0b

Issue actions