[Python-Dev] Python 2.7b1 and argparse's version action

[Steven Bethard]

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.add_argument('--version', action='version',
>>>                      version='<the 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. As I said, I'm willing to change the defaults
and even break backwards compatibility a bit in Python trunk[1] but I
need to a see a consensus from a variety of developers that
"--version" is the right answer, and not "-V/--version", etc. Note
that even though I agree with you that "-v/--version" is probably not
the best choice, in the poll[2] 11% of people still wanted this. So
it's not a simple decision.

By the way, we could simplify the typical add_argument usage by adding
"show program's version number and exit" as the default help for the
'version' action. Then you should just write:

    parser.add_argument('--version', action='version', version='<the version>')

Steve

[1] Assuming the release manager will allow it.
[2] http://www.vizu.com/res/Grab-bag/argparse/poll-results.html?n=192933
-- 
Where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?
Did Steve tell you that?
        --- The Hiphopopotamus