[Python-Dev] Python 2.7b1 and argparse's version action (original) (raw)

Tobias Herp Tobias.Herp at gmx.de
Mon Apr 19 03:02:32 CEST 2010


Steven Bethard schrieb:

On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 2:35 PM, Tobias Herp <Tobias.Herp at gmx.de> wrote:

Steven Bethard schrieb:

On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 3:31 AM, Tobias Herp <Tobias.Herp at gmx.de> wrote:

Argparse should simply do this like optparse does already. I.e., use '--version', '--help' and '-h' by default, but not '-v'. [snip] The deprecation of the 'version' argument press-gangs people to replace it by parser.addargument('--version', action='version', version='', # the only common part help="show program's version number and exit")

What Tobias has conveniently omitted is that there was not much agreement on what the default behavior of the version flag should be. [snip a bunch of Tobias's opinions on what the default should be] But I'd really like a consensus about the correct behavior, and so far I have not seen that. We'll have one ;-) I hope you can understand that I don't consider your personal opinion alone as a consensus.

Be careful. There have been other personal opinions, and there are very many *X programs which form a standard which should be followed, and this is a /very strong/ argument, IMO.

What you conveniently omitted is that I collected a lot of examples and commented the choices (part of which were part of your poll). Unfortunately you completely ignored these very prosaic arguments.

By the way, I just had a look at your poll (currently 81 votes). Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

Furthermore, nobody who dislikes the version feature is forced to use it. If 60% had voted for removal of a feature which is important and convenient for 40%, would you remove it? Really? IMO, removal of a feature which is used by 40% is out of the question; and if removal is, deprecation is as well.

Back to the actual numbers: dropping the argument is impossible (/and so is deprecation/); drop the 42.0%. Take the remaining numbers: 46.9% voted for the change, and 11.1% against it.

Do you take your own poll seriously?

-- Tobias



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