argparse version action should print to stdout, not stderr

[wm75]

BPO	18920
Nosy	@jwilk, @ezio-melotti, @serhiy-storchaka, @wm75
Files	issue18920.1.patch

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2013-09-06.13:57:07.095>
created_at = <Date 2013-09-04.12:30:47.440>
labels = ['easy', 'type-bug']
title = 'argparse version action should print to stdout, not stderr'
updated_at = <Date 2018-03-24.16:17:16.912>
user = 'https://github.com/wm75'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2018-03-24.16:17:16.912>
actor = 'serhiy.storchaka'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2013-09-06.13:57:07.095>
closer = 'eli.bendersky'
components = []
creation = <Date 2013-09-04.12:30:47.440>
creator = 'wolma'
dependencies = []
files = ['31587']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 18920
keywords = ['patch', 'easy']
message_count = 13.0
messages = ['196905', '196908', '196910', '196911', '196912', '196916', '196918', '196919', '197068', '197069', '197072', '314373', '314374']
nosy_count = 8.0
nosy_names = ['bethard', 'jwilk', 'ezio.melotti', 'eli.bendersky', 'python-dev', 'serhiy.storchaka', 'wolma', 'Stefan Sauer']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue18920'
versions = []

[wm75]

Hi,
I just noticed that version output generated via the
**'version' action** of the **argparse** module
is routed to stderr. I'd expect regular output to go to stdout instead.
The current behavior also seems inconsistent to me because --help
prints to stdout.
Best,
Wolfgang

[elibendersky]

Yes, it seems like an oversight to me. Printing --version to stdout is more customary (Python itself does it, and most other tools do too).

A question comes up about backwards compatibility. I would definitely not change it in 2.x - it's just not worth it. As for 3.x, should this go into 3.3 too or just 3.4?

[ezio-melotti]

Only on 3.4.
Python prints the version on stdout since 3.4 -- before it used stderr:
3.3$ ./python -V 2> /dev/null
3.3$ ./python -V > /dev/null
Python 3.3.2+

3.4$ ./python -V 2> /dev/null
Python 3.4.0a1+
3.4$ ./python -V > /dev/null

This might also explain why argparse uses stderr (other modules/scripts in the stdlib might do the same too).

[elibendersky]

On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 6:26 AM, Ezio Melotti <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:

Ezio Melotti added the comment:

Only on 3.4.
Python prints the version on stdout since 3.4 -- before it used stderr:
3.3$ ./python -V 2> /dev/null
3.3$ ./python -V > /dev/null
Python 3.3.2+

3.4$ ./python -V 2> /dev/null
Python 3.4.0a1+
3.4$ ./python -V > /dev/null

This might also explain why argparse uses stderr (other modules/scripts in
the stdlib might do the same too).

Ah, right. On 3.4 Python's main.c uses printf for --version; on earlier
versions it's fprintf(stderr...)

I guess it's a no-brainer then; 3.4 has to be changed, but not earlier
versions. I'll whip up a quick patch.

[elibendersky]

The Python executable change is from bpo-18338

[elibendersky]

Patch attached

[serhiy-storchaka]

This might also explain why argparse uses stderr (other modules/scripts in the stdlib might do the same too).

Lib/trace.py, Tools/pynche/Main.py, and Tools/i18n/pygettext.py write to the stdout.

Lib/smtpd.py and Tools/i18n/msgfmt.py write to the stderr.

The optparse module also writes to the stdout.

[serhiy-storchaka]

You misplace Misc/NEWS entry in wrong section -- "What's New in Python 3.4.0 Alpha 1".

I think this change (as change of bpo-18338) worths the mentioning in Doc/whatsnew/3.4.rst.

Did you run all test suite? This change can affect other tests.

[python-dev]

New changeset ec9a4b77f37b by Eli Bendersky in branch 'default':
Issue bpo-18920: argparse's default version action (for -v, --version) should
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/ec9a4b77f37b

[elibendersky]

Thanks, I moved the NEWS entry to the right place. Yes, all tests pass. I'll update whatsnew separately.

[python-dev]

New changeset 587bdb940524 by Eli Bendersky in branch 'default':
Update whatsnew/3.4 wrt. --version going to stdout. bpo-18338, bpo-18920, bpo-18922
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/587bdb940524

[StefanSauer]

Is there a workaround for python2? The issue is that autotools is checking that installed tools support --help and --version and it expects those to stdout:

bad=0; pid=$$; list="gtkdoc-check gtkdoc-depscan gtkdoc-fixxref gtkdoc-mkdb gtkdoc-mkhtml gtkdoc-mkhtml2 gtkdoc-mkman gtkdoc-mkpdf gtkdoc-rebase gtkdoc-scan gtkdoc-scangobj gtkdocize"; for p in $list; do \
  case '  ' in \
   *" $p "* | *" ../../$p "*) continue;; \
  esac; \
  f=`echo "$p" | sed 's,^.*/,,;s,x,x,'`; \
  for opt in --help --version; do \
    if "/home/ensonic/projects/gnome/gtk-doc/gtk-doc-1.27.1/_inst/bin/$f" $opt >c${pid}_.out \
         2>c${pid}_.err </dev/null \
         && test -n "`cat c${pid}_.out`" \
         && test -z "`cat c${pid}_.err`"; then :; \
    else echo "$f does not support $opt" 1>&2; bad=1; fi; \
  done; \
done; rm -f c${pid}_.???; exit $bad
gtkdoc-check does not support --version
gtkdoc-fixxref does not support --version
gtkdoc-mkdb does not support --version
gtkdoc-mkhtml does not support --version
gtkdoc-mkhtml2 does not support --version
gtkdoc-mkman does not support --version
gtkdoc-mkpdf does not support --version
gtkdoc-rebase does not support --version
gtkdoc-scan does not support --version
gtkdoc-scangobj does not support --version
Makefile:637: recipe for target 'installcheck-binSCRIPTS' failed

[serhiy-storchaka]

You can implement your own version action which outputs to stdout and use it for -V and --version.