Description

JCrane512

opened on Jul 28, 2022

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Documentation

When setting the flag required=true for the function ArgumentParser.add_subparsers() the setting dest=" some description" also needs to be set or the parser throws an unhelpful error when the user fails to select a subparser.

This is not covered in the documentation.

Linked PRs

• gh-95377: Editted docs for argparse.add_subparser #95490

Reacted by MonadChains

Activity

1. JCrane512

   added

   docsDocumentation in the Doc dirDocumentation in the Doc dir

   on Jul 28, 2022
2. MonadChains commented on Jul 28, 2022

   

   MonadChains

   on Jul 28, 2022

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   I agree. The documentation is not fully clear, and adding a line to clarify it could be beneficial, especially given the complexity of the module.
3. PurityLake

   added a commit that references this issue on Dec 24, 2022

   pythongh-95377: Removed unnessecary line in argpase.rst

   1892cfe
4. StanFromIreland

   added this to Argparse issueson Aug 20, 2026
5. StanFromIreland commented on Aug 20, 2026

   

   StanFromIreland

   on Aug 20, 2026

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   CC @savannahostrowski

   Reacted by Savannah Ostrowski
6. savannahostrowski

   self-assigned this

   on Aug 20, 2026
7. savannahostrowski commented on Aug 21, 2026

   

   savannahostrowski

   on Aug 21, 2026

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   It’s unclear which Python version this was originally reported against. The underlying problem was fixed in #3680 and backported to Python 3.9 and 3.10. When no subparser is selected, argparse tells the user that one is required: error: the following arguments are required: {foo,bar}

   It does not reproduce on any branch in the current support window so I think this can be closed.
8. savannahostrowski

   closed this as not plannedon Aug 21, 2026
9. github-project-automation

   moved this to Doc issues in Argparse issueson Aug 21, 2026

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