How to run a python script inside a python script

Question

I have a Python script script1 that have multiple arguments which could be simplified as:

def add_vars(var1, var2, var3, var4, var5):
    sum = var1+var2+var3+var4+var5
    return sum

if __name__ == '__main__':
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter, description="""                                              
    simple addition                                                                                                                              
    """)

    parser.add_argument('var1',  type=float, help='var1')
    parser.add_argument('-var2', type=float, default=20, help='var2')
    parser.add_argument('-var3', type=float, default=30, help='var3')
    parser.add_argument('-var4', type=float, default=40, help='var4')
    parser.add_argument('-var5', type=float, default=50, help='var5')

    args = parser.parse_args()
    print(args)

    ss = add_vars(args.var1, args.var2, args.var3, args.var4, args.var5)
    print('sum=', ss)

in which only arg1 is required and arg2 - arg5 are optional.

I would like to call this script in another Python script with arg1 , arg3 just like in the terminal:

script1.py 1 -var3 4

Does anyone know how to do this? I have tried os.execl but without luck.

Answer 1

EDIT: I'd say using subprocess wouldn't be a "better" way but this is a way you could do it?

from subprocess import check_output
out = check_output(["python", "script1.py", "1", "-var3", "4"])

print(out.decode("utf-8"))

Output:

Namespace(var1=1.0, var2=20, var3=4.0, var4=40, var5=50)
sum= 115.0
<empty line>

---

Original:

script1.py:

def add_vars(var1, var2=20, var3=30, var4=40, var5=50):
    sum = var1+var2+var3+var4+var5
    return sum


if __name__ == '__main__':
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter,
                                     description="""simple addition""")

    parser.add_argument('var1',  type=float, help='var1')
    parser.add_argument('-var2', type=float, default=20, help='var2')
    parser.add_argument('-var3', type=float, default=30, help='var3')
    parser.add_argument('-var4', type=float, default=40, help='var4')
    parser.add_argument('-var5', type=float, default=50, help='var5')

    args = parser.parse_args()
    print(args)

    ss = add_vars(args.var1, args.var2, args.var3, args.var4, args.var5)
    print('sum=', ss)

script2.py:

import script1

print(script1.add_vars(1, var3=4))

var2=20, var3=30, var4=40, var5=50 sets the default values for the function (just like for argparse )

Answer 2

if __name__=='__main__' resists your program functions to be called in other program so you can do something like this in in other program

from script1.py import add_vars

and since you have given arg 1 and 3 default vals in the function you with other arguments so you have to be careful while passing other args, while you are in the other file

add_vars(arg1,arg3)

if you would have simply call script1.py then this would have not executed

if you have further question do add a comment i'll do make my best to answer your query

if you want to change vals of arg1 and arg3

add_vars(arg1=29,arg3=8)

you can specify them, so that their default value is overrided