I want to have a python command line argument --lambda, but I can't access it as lambda is a python keyword.
import argparse
p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
p.add_argument('--lambda')
args = p.parse_args()
print args.lambda
I get:
print args.lambda
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
How can I do this?
You can add a different name for the attribute with dest e.g.
import argparse
p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
p.add_argument('--lambda', dest='llambda')
args = p.parse_args()
print args.llambda
argparse uses hasattr and getattr to set values in the Namespace. This allows you to use flags/dest that are not valid in the args.dest syntax. Here the problem is with a restricted key word. It could also be a string with special characters. So getattr(args, 'lambda') should work.
vars(args) creates a dictionary, allowing you to use vars(args)['lambda'].
But changing the dest is a cleaner solution. That's part of why that parameter is allowed.
(For a positional argument, choose a valid dest right away.)
