Why is a parameter parsed as a bool?

Question

I usually use docopt to handle the command line parameters but I now have a case where the parameters is parsed unexpectedly (it must be a silly mistake of mine as it always works great)

"""
API to do something

Usage:
    api.py [options]

Options:
    --port PORT     port to listen on   [default: 64645]
    --url   URL     elasticsearch address   [default: http://elk.example.com:9200]
"""

This is parsed via a conf = docopt.docopt(__doc__) call after which I have conf set to

{
    '--port': '64645',
    '--url': False
}

The --url part is not correct but I cannot understand why.

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 13 '16 at 07:39

4

It is because there are too many spaces between --url and URL, try:

"""
API to do something

Usage:
    api.py [options]

Options:
    --port PORT     port to listen on   [default: 64645]
    --url URL       elasticsearch address   [default: http://elk.example.com:9200]
"""

answered Oct 13 '16 at 07:39

J. P. Petersen

4,871
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1

looks like a bug to me – yandreiy Oct 13 '16 at 10:02
1

I don't think it is a bug, as it is mentioned in the documentation: "Use two spaces to separate options with their informal description." – J. P. Petersen Oct 13 '16 at 11:37

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

0

Taken from official documentation:

To specify that an option has an argument, put a word describing that argument after one space or "=" sign.

Use two spaces to separate options with their informal description.

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

1
1

answered Nov 10 '16 at 21:57

Omer Dagan

14,868
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Why is a parameter parsed as a bool?

2 Answers2