argparsetest.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Trying to achieve a command line option list like this
# argparsetest.py [--url <url> [[--string <string>] [--string-two <string>] | --boolean [--number <number>]]]

# This crashes if you pass it --help. Why?

from argparse import ArgumentParser

parser = ArgumentParser('demonstration of argparse issue')

parser.add_argument('-u', '--url', metavar='<url>', type=str, help='URL to process')

mode_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()

no_tweet_group = mode_group.add_argument_group()

no_tweet_group.add_argument('-b', '--boolean', action='store_const', const=True, default=False, help='set something')
no_tweet_group.add_argument('-n', '--number', metavar='<number>', type=int, help='set a number')

active_group = mode_group.add_argument_group()

active_group.add_argument('-s', '--string', metavar='<string>', type=str, help='set a string')
active_group.add_argument('-t', '--string-two', metavar='<string>', type=str, help='set another string')

cli_args = parser.parse_args()

print(cli_args)