Python optparse metavar
Solution 1
As @Guillaume says, it's used for generating help. If you want to have an option that takes an argument, such as a filename, you can add the metavar
parameter to the add_option
call so your preferred argument name/descriptor is output in the help message. From the current module documentation:
usage = "usage: %prog [options] arg1 arg2"
parser = OptionParser(usage=usage)
parser.add_option("-f", "--filename",
metavar="FILE", help="write output to FILE"),
would produce help like this:
usage: <yourscript> [options] arg1 arg2
options:
-f FILE, --filename=FILE
The "FILE" after the "-f" and the "--filename" comes from the metavar.
Solution 2
metavar seems to be used for generating help : http://www.python.org/doc/2.5.2/lib/optparse-generating-help.html
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bluish
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Updated on November 13, 2020Comments
-
bluish about 3 years
I am not sure what
optparse
'smetavar
parameter is used for. I see it is used all around, but I can't see its use.Can someone make it clear to me? Thanks.
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user1066101 about 15 yearsmetavar="helpfulname" customizes the help message with a helpful name; different from the dest="name". The dest="name" might not be helpful to users.