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classification
Title: Document argparse.REMAINDER as being equal to "..."
Type: Stage: resolved
Components: Documentation Versions: Python 3.6, Python 3.5, Python 2.7
process
Status: closed Resolution: rejected
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: docs@python Nosy List: Antony.Lee, bethard, docs@python, paul.j3, r.david.murray
Priority: normal Keywords:

Created on 2015-07-16 20:47 by Antony.Lee, last changed 2022-04-11 14:58 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Messages (3)
msg246824 - (view) Author: Antony Lee (Antony.Lee) * Date: 2015-07-16 20:47
Currently the argparse docs mention the special values "+", "*" and "?" by their actual values instead of argparse.{ONE_OR_MORE,ZERO_OR_MORE,OPTIONAL}, but argparse.REMAINDER is mentioned as is.  It seems easier to just use its actual value ("...") in the docs as well.
msg247942 - (view) Author: paul j3 (paul.j3) * (Python triager) Date: 2015-08-03 17:31
Also, argparse.PARSER  is '+...'

'? * +' have closely matched analogs in regex patterns.  '...' and '+...' do not.  So Python users will have an intuitive idea of what "nargs='*'" means.  "nargs='...'" is not so obvious.

As a general rule, the document does not expose the values of module constants.
msg266656 - (view) Author: R. David Murray (r.david.murray) * (Python committer) Date: 2016-05-30 01:07
I would say nargs='...' is borderline...it's meaning is *fairly* intuitive, but unlike the other three it does not, as paul.j3 points out, have a regex (or shell) counterpart.

I think we should respect the original author's decision in this case and leave well enough alone.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:58:18adminsetgithub: 68835
2016-05-30 01:07:55r.david.murraysetstatus: open -> closed

nosy: + r.david.murray
messages: + msg266656

resolution: rejected
stage: resolved
2015-08-03 17:31:42paul.j3setnosy: + paul.j3
messages: + msg247942
2015-07-25 03:47:52ned.deilysetnosy: + docs@python, bethard

assignee: docs@python
components: + Documentation, - Library (Lib)
versions: + Python 2.7, Python 3.6
2015-07-16 20:47:25Antony.Leecreate