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How to validate argparse CLI commands in Python
Build a beginner-friendly command-line argument parser with argparse, including required and optional arguments, plus simple validation for age.
import argparse
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Validate CLI arguments for beginners.")
parser.add_argument("name", type=str, help="Your name.")
parser.add_argument("--age", type=int, default=None, help="Your age (optional).")
parser.add_argument("--verbose", action="store_t…
How to Use mock.assert_called_with in Python
Verify that a MagicMock received a call with specific positional and keyword arguments using assert_called_with in unittest.
import unittest
from unittest.mock import MagicMock
class TestMockAssertions(unittest.TestCase):
def test_assert_called_with(self):
# Create a mock object
mock = MagicMock()
# Call the mock with specific arguments
mock.send_email("alice@example.com", subject="Greetings", body="Hel…
At Most Once Fire-and-Forget Mock in Python
A Python mock that enforces send() is called at most once and records the arguments for verification.
class FireForgetMock:
def __init__(self):
self._calls = 0
self._last_args = None
self._last_kwargs = None
def send(self, *args, **kwargs):
if self._calls > 0:
raise RuntimeError("send() called more than once")
self._calls += 1
self._last_args = args
…
How to create a stable cache key from function arguments in Python
Generate a stable SHA-256 cache key from normalized function arguments, with keyword order normalized and tests using mocks.
import hashlib
import json
from unittest.mock import Mock
def make_cache_key(*args, **kwargs):
"""Normalize args/kwargs into a stable hash key for caching."""
normalized = {
"args": [repr(arg) for arg in args],
"kwargs": {key: repr(value) for key, value in sorted(kwargs.items())}
}
pa…
Mocking a Metrics Gauge's set_value Method in Python
Demonstrates using unittest.mock.Mock with wraps to intercept a gauge's set_value call while verifying arguments and preserving real behavior.
from unittest.mock import Mock
class MetricsGauge:
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name
self.value = 0.0
def set_value(self, new_value):
self.value = float(new_value)
return self.value
# Usage demonstration with a mock
gauge = MetricsGauge("cpu_usage")
gauge_mock = Mock…
How to Mock a Function Call in Python with unittest.mock
Use unittest.mock.Mock to wrap a function and spy on its call count and arguments in Python.
import random
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
def select_n_plus_one(numbers: list[int]) -> int:
"""Return the first number that appears more than once, if any."""
seen = set()
for num in numbers:
if num in seen:
return num
seen.add(num)
return -1
def detect_mock(se…
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