The getopt module

This module contains functions to extract command line options and arguments. It can handle both short and long option formats.

The second argument specifies the short options that should be allowed. A colon (:) after an option name means that option must have an additional argument.

Example: Using the getopt module

# File: getopt-example-1.py

import getopt
import sys

# simulate command line invocation
sys.argv = ["myscript.py", "-l", "-d", "directory", "filename"]

# process options
opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "ld:")

long = 0
directory = None

for o, v in opts:
    if o == "-l":
        long = 1
    elif o == "-d":
        directory = v

print "long", "=", long
print "directory", "=", directory
print "arguments", "=", args

long = 1
directory = directory
arguments = ['filename']

To make it look for long options, pass a list of option descriptors as the third argument. If an option name ends with an equal sign (=), that option must have an additional argument.

Example: Using the getopt module to handle long options

# File: getopt-example-2.py

import getopt
import sys

# simulate command line invocation
sys.argv = ["myscript.py", "--echo", "--printer", "lp01", "message"]

opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "ep:", ["echo", "printer="])

# process options
echo = 0
printer = None

for o, v in opts:
    if o in ("-e", "--echo"):
        echo = 1
    elif o in ("-p", "--printer"):
        printer = v

print "echo", "=", echo
print "printer", "=", printer
print "arguments", "=", args

echo = 1
printer = lp01
arguments = ['message']

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