Python: Essential Reference, Third Edition

optparse

The optparse module provides high-level support for processing command-line options. It provides similar functionality as the getopt module, but adds a considerable number of new features related to configuration, error handling, and option processing. Use of optparse primarily focuses on the OptionParser class.

OptionParser([**args])

Creates a new command option parser and returns an OptionParser instance. A variety of optional keyword arguments can be supplied to control configuration. These keyword arguments are described in the following list:

Keyword Argument	Description
add_help_option	Specifies whether or not a special help option (--help and -h) is supported. By default, this is set to True.
conflict_handler	Specifies the handling ...