Python boilerplate from which I start all my projects

boilerplate.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""[application description here]"""

__appname__ = "[application name here]"
__author__  = "Stephan Sokolow (deitarion/SSokolow)"
__version__ = "0.0pre0"
__license__ = "GNU GPL 3.0 or later"

import logging
log = logging.getLogger(__name__)

# -- Code Here --

if __name__ == '__main__':
    from optparse import OptionParser
    parser = OptionParser(version="%%prog v%s" % __version__,
            usage="%prog [options] <argument> ...",
            description=__doc__.replace('\r\n', '\n').split('\n--snip--\n')[0])
    parser.add_option('-v', '--verbose', action="count", dest="verbose",
        default=2, help="Increase the verbosity. Use twice for extra effect")
    parser.add_option('-q', '--quiet', action="count", dest="quiet",
        default=0, help="Decrease the verbosity. Use twice for extra effect")
    #Reminder: %default can be used in help strings.

    # Allow pre-formatted descriptions
    parser.formatter.format_description = lambda description: description

    opts, args  = parser.parse_args()

    # Set up clean logging to stderr
    log_levels = [logging.CRITICAL, logging.ERROR, logging.WARNING,
                  logging.INFO, logging.DEBUG]
    opts.verbose = min(opts.verbose - opts.quiet, len(log_levels) - 1)
    opts.verbose = max(opts.verbose, 0)
    logging.basicConfig(level=log_levels[opts.verbose],
                        format='%(levelname)s: %(message)s')

Any specific reason for using OptionParser instead of the more popular ArgParse?

Must be cause this post is old

Also take a look at python-boilerplate.com for various up-to-date Python boilerplates!