argparse.py

        # return the number of arguments matched
        return len(match.group(1))

    def _match_arguments_partial(self, actions, arg_strings_pattern):
        # progressively shorten the actions list by slicing off the
        # final actions until we find a match
        result = []
        for i in range(len(actions), 0, -1):
            actions_slice = actions[:i]
            pattern = ''.join([self._get_nargs_pattern(action)
                               for action in actions_slice])
            match = _re.match(pattern, arg_strings_pattern)
            if match is not None:
                result.extend([len(string) for string in match.groups()])
                break

        # return the list of arg string counts
        return result

    def _parse_optional(self, arg_string):
        # if it's an empty string, it was meant to be a positional
        if not arg_string:
            return None

        # if it doesn't start with a prefix, it was meant to be positional
        if not arg_string[0] in self.prefix_chars:
            return None

        # if the option string is present in the parser, return the action
        if arg_string in self._option_string_actions:
            action = self._option_string_actions[arg_string]
            return action, arg_string, None

        # if it's just a single character, it was meant to be positional
        if len(arg_string) == 1:
            return None

        # if the option string before the "=" is present, return the action
        if '=' in arg_string:
            option_string, explicit_arg = arg_string.split('=', 1)
            if option_string in self._option_string_actions:
                action = self._option_string_actions[option_string]
                return action, option_string, explicit_arg

        # search through all possible prefixes of the option string
        # and all actions in the parser for possible interpretations
        option_tuples = self._get_option_tuples(arg_string)

        # if multiple actions match, the option string was ambiguous
        if len(option_tuples) > 1:
            options = ', '.join([option_string
                for action, option_string, explicit_arg in option_tuples])
            tup = arg_string, options
            self.error(_('ambiguous option: %s could match %s') % tup)

        # if exactly one action matched, this segmentation is good,
        # so return the parsed action
        elif len(option_tuples) == 1:
            option_tuple, = option_tuples
            return option_tuple

        # if it was not found as an option, but it looks like a negative
        # number, it was meant to be positional
        # unless there are negative-number-like options
        if self._negative_number_matcher.match(arg_string):
            if not self._has_negative_number_optionals:
                return None

        # if it contains a space, it was meant to be a positional
        if ' ' in arg_string:
            return None

        # it was meant to be an optional but there is no such option
        # in this parser (though it might be a valid option in a subparser)
        return None, arg_string, None

    def _get_option_tuples(self, option_string):
        result = []

        # option strings starting with two prefix characters are only
        # split at the '='
        chars = self.prefix_chars
        if option_string[0] in chars and option_string[1] in chars:
            if '=' in option_string:
                option_prefix, explicit_arg = option_string.split('=', 1)
            else:
                option_prefix = option_string
                explicit_arg = None
            for option_string in self._option_string_actions:
                if option_string.startswith(option_prefix):
                    action = self._option_string_actions[option_string]
                    tup = action, option_string, explicit_arg
                    result.append(tup)

        # single character options can be concatenated with their arguments
        # but multiple character options always have to have their argument
        # separate
        elif option_string[0] in chars and option_string[1] not in chars:
            option_prefix = option_string
            explicit_arg = None
            short_option_prefix = option_string[:2]
            short_explicit_arg = option_string[2:]

            for option_string in self._option_string_actions:
                if option_string == short_option_prefix:
                    action = self._option_string_actions[option_string]
                    tup = action, option_string, short_explicit_arg
                    result.append(tup)
                elif option_string.startswith(option_prefix):
                    action = self._option_string_actions[option_string]
                    tup = action, option_string, explicit_arg
                    result.append(tup)

        # shouldn't ever get here
        else:
            self.error(_('unexpected option string: %s') % option_string)

        # return the collected option tuples
        return result

    def _get_nargs_pattern(self, action):
        # in all examples below, we have to allow for '--' args
        # which are represented as '-' in the pattern
        nargs = action.nargs

        # the default (None) is assumed to be a single argument
        if nargs is None:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*A-*)'

        # allow zero or one arguments
        elif nargs == OPTIONAL:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*A?-*)'

        # allow zero or more arguments
        elif nargs == ZERO_OR_MORE:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*[A-]*)'

        # allow one or more arguments
        elif nargs == ONE_OR_MORE:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*A[A-]*)'

        # allow any number of options or arguments
        elif nargs == REMAINDER:
            nargs_pattern = '([-AO]*)'

        # allow one argument followed by any number of options or arguments
        elif nargs == PARSER:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*A[-AO]*)'

        # all others should be integers
        else:
            nargs_pattern = '(-*%s-*)' % '-*'.join('A' * nargs)

        # if this is an optional action, -- is not allowed
        if action.option_strings:
            nargs_pattern = nargs_pattern.replace('-*', '')
            nargs_pattern = nargs_pattern.replace('-', '')

        # return the pattern
        return nargs_pattern

    # ========================
    # Value conversion methods
    # ========================
    def _get_values(self, action, arg_strings):
        # for everything but PARSER args, strip out '--'
        if action.nargs not in [PARSER, REMAINDER]:
            arg_strings = [s for s in arg_strings if s != '--']

        # optional argument produces a default when not present
        if not arg_strings and action.nargs == OPTIONAL:
            if action.option_strings:
                value = action.const
            else:
                value = action.default
            if isinstance(value, basestring):
                value = self._get_value(action, value)
                self._check_value(action, value)

        # when nargs='*' on a positional, if there were no command-line
        # args, use the default if it is anything other than None
        elif (not arg_strings and action.nargs == ZERO_OR_MORE and
              not action.option_strings):
            if action.default is not None:
                value = action.default
            else:
                value = arg_strings
            self._check_value(action, value)

        # single argument or optional argument produces a single value
        elif len(arg_strings) == 1 and action.nargs in [None, OPTIONAL]:
            arg_string, = arg_strings
            value = self._get_value(action, arg_string)
            self._check_value(action, value)

        # REMAINDER arguments convert all values, checking none
        elif action.nargs == REMAINDER:
            value = [self._get_value(action, v) for v in arg_strings]

        # PARSER arguments convert all values, but check only the first
        elif action.nargs == PARSER:
            value = [self._get_value(action, v) for v in arg_strings]
            self._check_value(action, value[0])

        # all other types of nargs produce a list
        else:
            value = [self._get_value(action, v) for v in arg_strings]
            for v in value:
                self._check_value(action, v)

        # return the converted value
        return value

    def _get_value(self, action, arg_string):
        type_func = self._registry_get('type', action.type, action.type)
        if not _callable(type_func):
            msg = _('%r is not callable')
            raise ArgumentError(action, msg % type_func)

        # convert the value to the appropriate type
        try:
            result = type_func(arg_string)

        # ArgumentTypeErrors indicate errors
        except ArgumentTypeError:
            name = getattr(action.type, '__name__', repr(action.type))
            msg = str(_sys.exc_info()[1])
            raise ArgumentError(action, msg)

        # TypeErrors or ValueErrors also indicate errors
        except (TypeError, ValueError):
            name = getattr(action.type, '__name__', repr(action.type))
            msg = _('invalid %s value: %r')
            raise ArgumentError(action, msg % (name, arg_string))

        # return the converted value
        return result

    def _check_value(self, action, value):
        # converted value must be one of the choices (if specified)
        if action.choices is not None and value not in action.choices:
            tup = value, ', '.join(map(repr, action.choices))
            msg = _('invalid choice: %r (choose from %s)') % tup
            raise ArgumentError(action, msg)

    # =======================
    # Help-formatting methods
    # =======================
    def format_usage(self):
        formatter = self._get_formatter()
        formatter.add_usage(self.usage, self._actions,
                            self._mutually_exclusive_groups)
        return formatter.format_help()

    def format_help(self):
        formatter = self._get_formatter()

        # usage
        formatter.add_usage(self.usage, self._actions,
                            self._mutually_exclusive_groups)

        # description
        formatter.add_text(self.description)

        # positionals, optionals and user-defined groups
        for action_group in self._action_groups:
            formatter.start_section(action_group.title)
            formatter.add_text(action_group.description)
            formatter.add_arguments(action_group._group_actions)
            formatter.end_section()

        # epilog
        formatter.add_text(self.epilog)

        # determine help from format above
        return formatter.format_help()

    def format_version(self):
        import warnings
        warnings.warn(
            'The format_version method is deprecated -- the "version" '
            'argument to ArgumentParser is no longer supported.',
            DeprecationWarning)
        formatter = self._get_formatter()
        formatter.add_text(self.version)
        return formatter.format_help()

    def _get_formatter(self):
        return self.formatter_class(prog=self.prog)

    # =====================
    # Help-printing methods
    # =====================
    def print_usage(self, file=None):
        if file is None:
            file = _sys.stdout
        self._print_message(self.format_usage(), file)

    def print_help(self, file=None):
        if file is None:
            file = _sys.stdout
        self._print_message(self.format_help(), file)

    def print_version(self, file=None):
        import warnings
        warnings.warn(
            'The print_version method is deprecated -- the "version" '
            'argument to ArgumentParser is no longer supported.',
            DeprecationWarning)
        self._print_message(self.format_version(), file)

    def _print_message(self, message, file=None):
        if message:
            if file is None:
                file = _sys.stderr
            file.write(message)

    # ===============
    # Exiting methods
    # ===============
    def exit(self, status=0, message=None):
        if message:
            self._print_message(message, _sys.stderr)
        _sys.exit(status)

    def error(self, message):
        """error(message: string)

        Prints a usage message incorporating the message to stderr and
        exits.

        If you override this in a subclass, it should not return -- it
        should either exit or raise an exception.
        """
        self.print_usage(_sys.stderr)
        self.exit(2, _('%s: error: %s\n') % (self.prog, message))