parsing-flags.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

from __future__ import print_function
from argparse import ArgumentParser

parser = ArgumentParser(prog='arg-parse testing')
parser.add_argument("-compopts","--compopts", action="append", dest="compopts")

strings = [
            '--compopts --fast',
            '-compopts --fast',
            '--compo --fast',
            '--compo=--fast', # Only one that succeeds :(
            '-compo=--fast',
            '--compo "--fast"',
            '-compo "--fast"',
          ]

for string in strings:
    try:
        parser.parse_args([string])
    except:
        print(string, ': failed')
    else:
        print(string, ': succeeded')