When running a python script in IDLE, is there a way to pass in command line arguments (args)?

It doesn't seem like IDLE provides a way to do this through the GUI, but you could do something like:

idle.py -r scriptname.py arg1 arg2 arg3

You can also set sys.argv manually, like:

try:
    __file__
except:
    sys.argv = [sys.argv[0], 'argument1', 'argument2', 'argument2']

(Credit http://wayneandlayne.com/2009/04/14/using-command-line-arguments-in-python-in-idle/)

Here are a couple of ways that I can think of:

1) You can call your "main" function directly on the IDLE console with arguments if you want.

2) You can add a test line in front of your main function call which supplies an array of arguments (or create a unit test which does the same thing), or set sys.argv directly.

3) You can run python in interactive mode on the console and pass in arguments:

C:\> python.exe -i some.py arg1 arg2

import sys

sys.argv = [sys.argv[0], '-arg1', 'val1', '-arg2', 'val2']

//If you're passing command line for 'help' or 'verbose' you can say as:

sys.argv = [sys.argv[0], '-h']

IDLE now has a GUI way to add arguments to sys.argv! Under the 'Run' menu header select 'Run... Customized' or just Shift+F5...A dialog will appear and that's it!

Answer from veganaiZe produces a KeyError outside IDLE with python 3.6.3. This can be solved by replacing if sys.modules['idlelib']: by if 'idlelib' in sys.modules: as below.

import argparse
# Check if we are using IDLE
if 'idlelib' in sys.modules:
    # IDLE is present ==> we are in test mode
    print("""====== TEST MODE =======""")
    args = parser.parse_args([list of args])
else:
    # It's command line, this is production mode.
    args = parser.parse_args()

There seems like as many ways to do this as users. Me being a noob, I just tested for arguments (how many). When the idle starts from windows explorer, it has just one argument (... that is len(sys.argv) returns 1) unless you started the IDLE with parameters. IDLE is just a bat file on Windows ... that points to idle.py; on linux, I don't use idle.

What I tend to do is on the startup ...

if len(sys.argv) == 1
    sys.argv = [sys.argv[0], arg1, arg2, arg3....] <---- default arguments here

I realize that is using a sledge hammer but if you are just bringing up the IDLE by clicking it in the default install, it will work. Most of what I do is call the python from another language, so the only time it makes any difference is when I'm testing.

It is easy for a noob like me to understand.