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Running a python script which takes an argument using Robot Framework

Let's say I have a python script located at C:\script.py. This is the contents of the script:
def func1(arg1):
print (arg1)
if __name__ == "__main__":
func1(arg1)
Now, I want to run this script using Robot Framework. I'm thinking about doing something like this:
*** Test Cases ***
Test1
Run Process python C:\script.py ${arg1}
But it doesn't work. How can I run this script, and pass an argument to it?

It would be nicer if you have posted a real example that we could experiment, to understand:
But it doesn't work.
As you can see in the documentation of Run Process, you have to redirect the output of your process, so you can see it (if that was your problem).
Here is a working example based on yours:
import sys
arg1 = sys.argv[1] or None
def func1(argument):
print(argument)
if __name__ == "__main__":
func1(arg1)
*** Settings ***
Library Process
*** Test Cases ***
Test1
Run Process python C:/script.py This is my argument to script. stdout=C:/script_output.log
But maybe the best solution is to make your script as a Keyword.

First, you will have to modify your script to use command line arguments which you can find in sys.argv.
For example:
import sys
def func1(arg1):
print (arg1)
if __name__ == "__main__":
func1(sys.argv[1])
Next, you must make sure to have two or more spaces between script.py and the argument:
Run Process python C:\\script.py ${arg1}
And, of course, you need to define what ${arg1} is, which you didn't do in your example.

I agree with #Helio, making python program as a keyword will be faster and easy solution to implement.
Import py script in settings section under Library.
${result}= func1 arg1
Here func1 act as a keyword to do whatever it is suppose to do as a function. Then result variable will capture the output which then can be logged or printed to console.

How do I run a python file with arguments as variables from another python file?

I'm working on cloning a Virtual Machine (VM) in vCenter environment using this code. It takes command line arguments for name of the VM, template, datastore, etc. (e.g. $ clone_vm.py -s <host_name> -p < password > -nossl ....)
I have another Python file where I've been able to list the Datastore volumes in descending order of free_storage. I have stored the datastore with maximum available storage in a variable ds_max. (Let's call this ds_info.py)
I would like to use ds_max variable from ds_info.py as a command line argument for datastore command line argument in clone_vm.py.
I tried importing the os module in ds_info.py and running os.system(python clone_vm.py ....arguments...) but it did not take the ds_max variable as an argument.
I'm new to coding and am not confident to change the clone_vm.py to take in the Datastore with maximum free storage.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this.

I suspect there is something wrong in your os.system call, but you don't provide it, so I can't check.
Generally it is a good idea to use the current paradigm, and the received wisdom (TM) is that we use subprocess. See the docs, but the basic pattern is:
from subprocess import run
cmd = ["mycmd", "--arg1", "--arg2", "val_for_arg2"]
run(cmd)
Since this is just a list, you can easily drop arguments into it:
var = "hello"
cmd = ["echo", var]
run(cmd)
However, if your other command is in fact a python script it is more normal to refactor your script so that the main functionality is wrapped in a function, called main by convention:
# script 2
...
def main(arg1, arg2, arg3):
do_the_work
if __name__ == "__main__":
args = get_sys_args() # dummy fn
main(*args)
Then you can simply import script2 from script1 and run the code directly:
# script 1
from script2 import main
args = get_args() # dummy fn
main(*args)
This is 'better' as it doesn't involve spawning a whole new python process just to run python code, and it generally results in neater code. But nothing stops you calling a python script the same way you'd call anything else.

How to run only specific lines of code from a file?

I was wondering how can I run only a small part of the code without running all the previous ones, such a thing would be very handy to me because I'm writing code just to see how it works and I do that in the same Python file, so when I want to run just the one I recently wrote it also runs all the previous ones.
I only want to run the highlighted part, not all the previous lines:

you should make all your codes inside functions.
and call it inside the main function.
for example:
# Import necessary libraries.
# Define your functions from the top
def Foo():
print('foo')
def Bar():
print('bar')
if __name__ == '__main__':
# Run your code from here, call the needed functions.
Foo()
Bar()
# If you don't want to run Bar(), simply comment it.

Definitions/ Functions are the best way to go for this.
def afunc():
print('This is the function printed after the other function')
def func(): # Starts the definition
print('This is a function')
afunc()
func() # Runs the Code

I've not used Pycharm specifically, but I know in many other IDEs for python (VS Code, Spyder, Jupyter), you can break out the script into cells and run each cell individually.
For VS Code and Spyder, you desginate different cells by including lines that start with #%%
This will also open up an interactive python shell where you can modify and re-run each section or type out individual lines to run

How can I import the value of a variable into another Python file? [duplicate]

I have a Python program I'm building that can be run in either of 2 ways: the first is to call python main.py which prompts the user for input in a friendly manner and then runs the user input through the program. The other way is to call python batch.py -file- which will pass over all the friendly input gathering and run an entire file's worth of input through the program in a single go.
The problem is that when I run batch.py, it imports some variables/methods/etc from main.py, and when it runs this code:
import main
at the first line of the program, it immediately errors because it tries to run the code in main.py.
How can I stop Python from running the code contained in the main module which I'm importing?

Because this is just how Python works - keywords such as class and def are not declarations. Instead, they are real live statements which are executed. If they were not executed your module would be empty.
The idiomatic approach is:
# stuff to run always here such as class/def
def main():
pass
if __name__ == "__main__":
# stuff only to run when not called via 'import' here
main()
It does require source control over the module being imported, however.

Due to the way Python works, it is necessary for it to run your modules when it imports them.
To prevent code in the module from being executed when imported, but only when run directly, you can guard it with this if:
if __name__ == "__main__":
# this won't be run when imported
You may want to put this code in a main() method, so that you can either execute the file directly, or import the module and call the main(). For example, assume this is in the file foo.py.
def main():
print "Hello World"
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
This program can be run either by going python foo.py, or from another Python script:
import foo
...
foo.main()

Use the if __name__ == '__main__' idiom -- __name__ is a special variable whose value is '__main__' if the module is being run as a script, and the module name if it's imported. So you'd do something like
# imports
# class/function definitions
if __name__ == '__main__':
# code here will only run when you invoke 'python main.py'

Unfortunately, you don't. That is part of how the import syntax works and it is important that it does so -- remember def is actually something executed, if Python did not execute the import, you'd be, well, stuck without functions.
Since you probably have access to the file, though, you might be able to look and see what causes the error. It might be possible to modify your environment to prevent the error from happening.

Put the code inside a function and it won't run until you call the function. You should have a main function in your main.py. with the statement:
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
Then, if you call python main.py the main() function will run. If you import main.py, it will not. Also, you should probably rename main.py to something else for clarity's sake.

There was a Python enhancement proposal PEP 299 which aimed to replace if __name__ == '__main__': idiom with def __main__:, but it was rejected. It's still a good read to know what to keep in mind when using if __name__ = '__main__':.

You may write your "main.py" like this:
#!/usr/bin/env python
__all__=["somevar", "do_something"]
somevar=""
def do_something():
pass #blahblah
if __name__=="__main__":
do_something()

I did a simple test:
#test.py
x = 1
print("1, has it been executed?")
def t1():
print("hello")
print("2, has it been executed?")
def t2():
print("world")
print("3, has it been executed?")
def main():
print("Hello World")
print("4, has it been executed?")
print("5, has it been executed?")
print(x)
# while True:
# t2()
if x == 1:
print("6, has it been executed?")
#test2.py
import test
When executing or running test2.py, the running result:
1, has it been executed?
5, has it been executed?
1
6, has it been executed?
Conclusion: When the imported module does not add if __name__=="__main__":, the current module is run, The code in the imported module that is not in the function is executed sequentially, and the code in the function is not executed when it is not called.
in addition：
def main():
# Put all your code you need to execute directly when this script run directly.
pass
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
else:
# Put functions you need to be executed only whenever imported

A minor error that could happen (at least it happened to me), especially when distributing python scripts/functions that carry out a complete analysis, was to call the function directly at the end of the function .py file.
The only things a user needed to modify were the input files and parameters.
Doing so when you import you'll get the function running immediately. For proper behavior, you simply need to remove the inside call to the function and reserve it for the real calling file/function/portion of code

Another option is to use a binary environment variable, e.g. lets call it 'run_code'. If run_code = 0 (False) structure main.py to bypass the code (but the temporarily bypassed function will still be imported as a module). Later when you are ready to use the imported function (now a module) set the environment variable run_code = 1 (True). Use the os.environ command to set and retrieve the binary variable, but be sure to convert it to an integer when retrieving (or restructure the if statement to read a string value),
in main.py:
import os
#set environment variable to 0 (False):
os.environ['run_code'] = '0'
def binary_module():
#retrieve environment variable, convert to integer
run_code_val = int(os.environ['run_code'] )
if run_code_val == 0:
print('nope. not doing it.')
if run_code_val == 1:
print('executing code...')
# [do something]
...in whatever script is loading main.py:
import os,main
main.binary_module()
OUTPUT: nope. not doing it.
# now flip the on switch!
os.environ['run_code'] = '1'
main.binary_module()
OUTPUT: executing code...
*Note: The above code presumes main.py and whatever script imports it exist in the same directory.

Although you cannot use import without running the code; there is quite a swift way in which you can input your variables; by using numpy.savez, which stores variables as numpy arrays in a .npz file. Afterwards you can load the variables using numpy.load.
See a full description in the scipy documentation
Please note this is only the case for variables and arrays of variable, and not for methods, etc.

Try just importing the functions needed from main.py? So,
from main import SomeFunction
It could be that you've named a function in batch.py the same as one in main.py, and when you import main.py the program runs the main.py function instead of the batch.py function; doing the above should fix that. I hope.

Function is called multiple times when importing but runs only once when used in the .py file where it was created [duplicate]

I have a Python program I'm building that can be run in either of 2 ways: the first is to call python main.py which prompts the user for input in a friendly manner and then runs the user input through the program. The other way is to call python batch.py -file- which will pass over all the friendly input gathering and run an entire file's worth of input through the program in a single go.
The problem is that when I run batch.py, it imports some variables/methods/etc from main.py, and when it runs this code:
import main
at the first line of the program, it immediately errors because it tries to run the code in main.py.
How can I stop Python from running the code contained in the main module which I'm importing?

Because this is just how Python works - keywords such as class and def are not declarations. Instead, they are real live statements which are executed. If they were not executed your module would be empty.
The idiomatic approach is:
# stuff to run always here such as class/def
def main():
pass
if __name__ == "__main__":
# stuff only to run when not called via 'import' here
main()
It does require source control over the module being imported, however.

Due to the way Python works, it is necessary for it to run your modules when it imports them.
To prevent code in the module from being executed when imported, but only when run directly, you can guard it with this if:
if __name__ == "__main__":
# this won't be run when imported
You may want to put this code in a main() method, so that you can either execute the file directly, or import the module and call the main(). For example, assume this is in the file foo.py.
def main():
print "Hello World"
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
This program can be run either by going python foo.py, or from another Python script:
import foo
...
foo.main()

Use the if __name__ == '__main__' idiom -- __name__ is a special variable whose value is '__main__' if the module is being run as a script, and the module name if it's imported. So you'd do something like
# imports
# class/function definitions
if __name__ == '__main__':
# code here will only run when you invoke 'python main.py'

Unfortunately, you don't. That is part of how the import syntax works and it is important that it does so -- remember def is actually something executed, if Python did not execute the import, you'd be, well, stuck without functions.
Since you probably have access to the file, though, you might be able to look and see what causes the error. It might be possible to modify your environment to prevent the error from happening.

Put the code inside a function and it won't run until you call the function. You should have a main function in your main.py. with the statement:
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
Then, if you call python main.py the main() function will run. If you import main.py, it will not. Also, you should probably rename main.py to something else for clarity's sake.

There was a Python enhancement proposal PEP 299 which aimed to replace if __name__ == '__main__': idiom with def __main__:, but it was rejected. It's still a good read to know what to keep in mind when using if __name__ = '__main__':.

You may write your "main.py" like this:
#!/usr/bin/env python
__all__=["somevar", "do_something"]
somevar=""
def do_something():
pass #blahblah
if __name__=="__main__":
do_something()

I did a simple test:
#test.py
x = 1
print("1, has it been executed?")
def t1():
print("hello")
print("2, has it been executed?")
def t2():
print("world")
print("3, has it been executed?")
def main():
print("Hello World")
print("4, has it been executed?")
print("5, has it been executed?")
print(x)
# while True:
# t2()
if x == 1:
print("6, has it been executed?")
#test2.py
import test
When executing or running test2.py, the running result:
1, has it been executed?
5, has it been executed?
1
6, has it been executed?
Conclusion: When the imported module does not add if __name__=="__main__":, the current module is run, The code in the imported module that is not in the function is executed sequentially, and the code in the function is not executed when it is not called.
in addition：
def main():
# Put all your code you need to execute directly when this script run directly.
pass
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
else:
# Put functions you need to be executed only whenever imported

A minor error that could happen (at least it happened to me), especially when distributing python scripts/functions that carry out a complete analysis, was to call the function directly at the end of the function .py file.
The only things a user needed to modify were the input files and parameters.
Doing so when you import you'll get the function running immediately. For proper behavior, you simply need to remove the inside call to the function and reserve it for the real calling file/function/portion of code

Another option is to use a binary environment variable, e.g. lets call it 'run_code'. If run_code = 0 (False) structure main.py to bypass the code (but the temporarily bypassed function will still be imported as a module). Later when you are ready to use the imported function (now a module) set the environment variable run_code = 1 (True). Use the os.environ command to set and retrieve the binary variable, but be sure to convert it to an integer when retrieving (or restructure the if statement to read a string value),
in main.py:
import os
#set environment variable to 0 (False):
os.environ['run_code'] = '0'
def binary_module():
#retrieve environment variable, convert to integer
run_code_val = int(os.environ['run_code'] )
if run_code_val == 0:
print('nope. not doing it.')
if run_code_val == 1:
print('executing code...')
# [do something]
...in whatever script is loading main.py:
import os,main
main.binary_module()
OUTPUT: nope. not doing it.
# now flip the on switch!
os.environ['run_code'] = '1'
main.binary_module()
OUTPUT: executing code...
*Note: The above code presumes main.py and whatever script imports it exist in the same directory.

Although you cannot use import without running the code; there is quite a swift way in which you can input your variables; by using numpy.savez, which stores variables as numpy arrays in a .npz file. Afterwards you can load the variables using numpy.load.
See a full description in the scipy documentation
Please note this is only the case for variables and arrays of variable, and not for methods, etc.

Try just importing the functions needed from main.py? So,
from main import SomeFunction
It could be that you've named a function in batch.py the same as one in main.py, and when you import main.py the program runs the main.py function instead of the batch.py function; doing the above should fix that. I hope.