How to pass command line arguments to include("<julia file>")?

New to Julia
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#1

I have a Julia file that takes command line arguments and parses them using ArgParse. I want to run the program in the REPL (trying to debug with Gallium). How do I pass the command line arguments?

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#2

Does this work for you?

From the command line:

$ cat test.jl
function main(args)
    @show args
end
main(ARGS)

$ julia test.jl hello world
args = String["hello","world"]

From the REPL:

julia> ARGS = ["hello", "world"]
       include("test.jl")
args = String["hello","world"]
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#3

Yes, thank you! There is one other change I had to make to accommodate ArgParse.jl
The ArgParse function parse_args(s) parses the command line input with parsing specified by s. I had to instead explicitly pass it ARGS as parse_args(ARGS, s) to use ArgParse in the REPL.

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#4

There is that question on StackOverflow. I was wondering if passing arguments as a Collection to include function is against some ideas behind julia. Because if not, I think it could be a useful feature. As of now you are either required to modify your script with the suggested isdefined() check or redefine ARGS explicitly which results in a warning.

I think It would be nice as it would for example streamline using others’ scripts that are not written as modules from within your own ones.

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#5

Merging in to duplicate

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#6

Let’s suppose the API is include("script.jl", ARGS=["--foo", "123"]). What would that do?

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#7

I couldn’t run my program from the REPL.
When I try this:

julia> ARGS = ["hello", "world"] include("test.jl")
error: ERROR: syntax: extra token "include" after end of expression

How can you make it 2 lines:
If I try to run first:

ARGS = ["hello", "world"] 
Error: ERROR: cannot assign variable Base.ARGS from module main

But command line is working with out any problem

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#8

The format include("script.jl", ARGS=["--foo", "123"]) looks good to pass arguments. Rigth now we get an error if we try to redefine ARGS, or use @Michael_Eastwood suggestion in a single line.

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#9

Hello everybody.

I would like to ask you: how to enter the argument(s) for only one of the many functions I have in my script from command line?

Thank you!

#10

Please provide an MWE. Also, it may be best to just start a new topic since your question may not be related to this one.

#11

Thank you.
I opened a new topic because I think you are right and my question is not exactly related to this one of this thread.

Here the new post:
link

Cheers

#12

If I include a ‘peace of code’ it just share the ‘includer’ ARGS dictionary. Include have the same effect than just copying the included code.

#13

MWE:

echo "@show ARGS" > /tmp/test.jl
echo 'ARGS = ["Hello World"]' > /tmp/test2.jl
echo 'include("/tmp/test.jl")' >> /tmp/test2.jl
julia /tmp/test2.jl

This will fail with the error:

ERROR: LoadError: cannot assign a value to variable Base.ARGS from module Main
Stacktrace:
[1] top-level scope at /tmp/test2.jl:1
in expression starting at /tmp/test2.jl:1

I’d very much like to know a work around other than wrap the target script in a function since I don’t think that would work in my use case without cluttering up my working directory with virtually empty files that just wrap other files.

edit: Actually, I just thought of a possible work around, though I don’t have time to test it right now. Later I’ll see if maybe I can pass the ARGS via stdout. In the target script (the one being included), I would check to see if ARGS is defined. If not, it will try reading from stdin.

This still feels unnecessary, but I think that should work.

edit2: Probably a better work around would be to check if args is defined. If it is, define variables based on that, otherwise look in ARGS. I’ll probably do that.

#14

You can modify ARGS rather than creating a new variable named ARGS

$ echo "@show ARGS" > test.jl
$ echo 'push!(empty!(ARGS), "Hello World")' > test2.jl
$ echo 'include("test.jl")' >> test2.jl
$ julia test2.jl
ARGS = ["Hello World"]

BTW, the code should not error. This is a bug that seems to have been introduced in Julia 1.5. Edit: Can't shadow ARGS in Main · Issue #39259 · JuliaLang/julia · GitHub

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#15

Thanks! That makes sense.

As for this being a bug, it actually seemed semi-reasonable for ARGS to be protected. I didn’t even think to check to see if it was a feature or a bug.

#16

Wouldn’t it be simpler if the include function could consider an optional tuple argument with the command line parameters? ARGS would be evaluated per file.

#17

I don’t think this is a common use case. The workaround (modify ARGS) is sufficient for debugging scripts.