Re: --help option: sys.exit or return?

> > Is there a better solution to this? For example, a way to 'exit' only if
> > the script was run from outside the python interpreter (i.e. if __name__
> > == "__main__") and only 'return' from the main function if it was run from
> > the interpreter.
>
> Nope, in Optik __name__ == "optik.option_parser" or similar.  And there
> is *always* some namespace up the callstack where __name__ == __main__,
> interactive session or not.  Offhand, I don't know of a good way to
> detect interactive sessions.
>
> In any version of Optik, you can do this:
>
>   try:
>       parser.parse_args(...)
>   except SystemExit:
>       print "caught SystemExit"
>

I guess this works fine for the simple things I'm doing with python
anyway.

> In Optik 1.5, help/version options always go via OptionParser.exit(), so
> you can override that method if you like.
>
> Both of these are a bit clumsy for interactive use, though.  Hmmmm.
>

Both methods provide a way to get around this, although not optimal as you
mention. I was looking at the 'getargs' package for reference (I'll stick
with Optik though) and noticed that they implement an exception system;
where they propagate exceptions: HelpQuery, VersionQuery, UsageError,
KeyError, and ValueError. This of course, means that it is up to the user
to catch these exceptions to exit from the system.

I'm thinking this is a nice solution, although I can think of reasons why
not to go that direction as well. For example, the user has to write more
code and always implement these exceptions...

Are there any more fundamental reasons why this approach wouldn't be a
good one to follow?

Well, I appreciate your response Greg and thanks again for the package!

--Miguel


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