TAB autocomplete python CLI

Question

I was just wondering if it is possible to write a Python script that is run in the shell that can provide suggestions to the user when they hit Tab?

for example, how certain applications can limit the file types suggested by what they support. I haven't found anything in optParse that does this?

Ideally it would be:

myScript.py [TAB] (shell prints list of options)

Any suggestions? Specifically using KDE under OpenSuse and tcsh

Much appreciated

Answer 1

That is a feature of the shell, not of the Python script being called. See this question on SO for more info on shell completion. In particular, you're looking for programmable completion.

Answer 2

I think you're looking for something like optcomplete. It implements a completion module for bash that will autocomplete the options for any Python program that uses optparse. You could take hints from that and convert it to what you need.

Answer 3

There's a pretty good explanation of how to do this for git. I'm including it inline, but credit goes to the original author

# Source this script in tcsh to setup shell completions
# for git. Completions are activated by typing or Control-D
# in the shell after entering a partial command.
#
# Usage:
# source git-completion.tcsh (e.g. in ~/.cshrc)
#
# Supported completions:
# git (lists git commands)
# git help (lists git commands)
# git branch (lists branch names)
# git checkout (lists branch names)
# git log (lists the most commonly used flags)
# git remote (lists git remote commands)
# git remote add|prune|rm|show|update
# (lists git remote names)
# In addition to entering where shown, you can enter it after
# typing part of the word, e.g. git branch bug to auto-complete
# branches starting with “bug”.
#
# Author: David Adler, David Aguilar

if ( -x /usr/bin/git) then
# Git is installed so define tcsh completions for it.

# List of known git subcommands
# This is a hard-coded list to avoid calling ‘git help’ at startup.
set __git_cmd_names = (add bisect blame branch checkout clone commit config \
diff diff-files difftool fetch grep gui init log merge mv pull push \
rebase reset rm show shortlog stash status tag)

alias __git_aliases ‘git config –get-regexp “alias.*” | sed -n “s,alias\.\([^ ]*\).*,\1,p”‘
alias __git_branches ‘git for-each-ref –format=”%(refname)” refs/heads refs/remotes | sed -e s,refs/remotes/,, | sed -e s,refs/heads/,,’
alias __git_origin_branches ‘git for-each-ref –format=”%(refname)” refs/remotes/origin | grep -v HEAD | sed -e s,refs/remotes/origin/,,’

# Define the completions (see the tcsh man page).
complete git \
‘p/1/`__git_aliases | xargs echo $__git_cmd_names`/’ \
“n/help/($__git_cmd_names)/” \
‘n/branch/`__git_branches | xargs echo -m -d`/’ \
‘n/config/(–global –get-regexp –list)/’ \
‘n/diff/`__git_branches | xargs echo –check –staged –stat — *`/’ \
‘n/difftool/`__git_branches | xargs echo –no-prompt –staged — *`/’ \
‘n/fetch/`git remote`/’ \
‘n/merge/`__git_branches`/’ \
‘n/log/`__git_branches | xargs echo — –name-only –name-status –reverse –committer= –no-color –relative –ignore-space-change –ignore-space-at-eol –format=medium –format=full –format=fuller`/’ \
‘n/stash/(apply list save pop clear)/’ \
‘n/push/`git remote`/’ \
‘N/push/`__git_origin_branches`/’ \
‘n/pull/`git remote | xargs echo –rebase`/’ \
‘n/–rebase/`git remote`/’ \
‘N/–rebase/`__git_origin_branches`/’ \
‘N/pull/`__git_origin_branches`/’ \
‘n/rebase/`__git_branches | xargs echo –continue –abort –onto –skip –interactive`/’ \
‘N/rebase/`__git_branches`/’ \
‘n/remote/(show add rm prune update)/’ \
‘N/remote/`git remote`/’ \
‘n/checkout/`__git_branches | xargs echo -b –`/’ \
‘N/-b/`__git_branches`/’
endif

Answer 4

compleat enables tab-completion in bash using a simple usage description. !command syntax should allow to filter filenames dynamically.