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Digital · Guided lesson

Add command-line arguments

About 19 minutes · 4 reading + 15 practice and checks
Time includes reading, practice, and questions. Extra videos or further study are optional.
See this course’s project requirements

A local command-line converter that validates fictional attendance CSV, writes JSON to a chosen output and reports rejected rows without altering input.

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • A converter contract with two accepted and two rejected records.
  • A CSV-to-typed-record trace with invalid-value evidence.
  • A failure report distinguishing rejected rows from failed runs.
  • A checked JSON output with 2 accepted and 2 rejected entries.
  • A reusable command contract and a missing-argument test.
  • A repeatable local CSV converter with failure and preservation evidence.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • The implementation or declared simulation follows the supplied contract and retains inspectable original inputs.
  • Normal, boundary and rejected cases are recorded with expected versus observed results.
  • The changed case has a correct explanation and does not rely on hidden state.
  • The project includes source, outputs, instructions and honest tool, privacy and verification limits.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Run python converter.py attendance.csv results.json. For a folder called practice data, quote each path as needed.

The idea

Arguments let one tested program operate on declared files without editing source for each run. A path containing spaces must be quoted by the shell; argparse reports missing arguments before conversion.

Follow along

Add command-line arguments — original worked practice

Arguments let one tested program operate on declared files without editing source for each run. A path containing spaces must be quoted by the shell; argparse reports missing arguments before conversion.

Run python converter.py attendance.csv results.json. For a folder called practice data, quote each path as needed.

  1. 1. Step 1

    Read the source and output positional arguments.

    You should see: Exactly two paths are required.

    This keeps the rule and its observable result together.

  2. 2. Step 2

    Run the baseline command from the supplied folder.

    You should see: results.json is created from attendance.csv.

    This keeps the rule and its observable result together.

  3. 3. Step 3

    Try a command missing output.

    You should see: argparse reports usage and exits before reading data.

    This keeps the rule and its observable result together.

  4. 4. Step 4

    Write a quoted command and preserve the actual output path.

    You should see: A reusable command contract and a missing-argument test.

    This keeps the rule and its observable result together.

Now change one thing

Use a changed input filename with spaces. Trace python converter.py "changed attendance.csv" "changed results.json". Each quoted filename is one positional argument. Enter how many required path arguments are missing.

Your work

What to finish

A reusable command contract and a missing-argument test.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Relying on a working-directory assumption instead of supplying explicit paths to the CLI.

How can I tell I understand it?

Explain and demonstrate the required distinction: Arguments let one tested program operate on declared files without editing source for each run. A path containing spaces must be quoted by the shell; argparse reports missing arguments before conversion. Show a changed input and the expected result without weakening this contract.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1Why use arguments instead of hard coded filenames?
2How should a path with spaces be passed?
3What happens before conversion when an argument is missing?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
5
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

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Sources and further reading

Explore the references behind this lesson.

docs.python.org — argparse.html
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Relevant documented module/API behavior inspected during expansion authoring; actual execution evidence is recorded separately. No grant eligibility is established.

Access: Official page retrieved with the web reader on 2026-10-01. Documentation reading does not certify execution in every native tool or browser.

Reuse: Original local practice files, fictional data, worked examples and questions. Concepts paraphrased and linked; source exercises are not copied.

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