Smart outlets

[python_utils.git] / config.py

diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 574449f54f7dc57bce107f071affa126d15a00da..b6262adf29b4f64816a793cfe7a692cd85d45d14 100644 (file)
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-"""Global configuration driven by commandline arguments (even across
-different modules).  Usage:
+"""Global configuration driven by commandline arguments, environment variables
+and saved configuration files.  This works across several modules.
+
+Usage:
 
     module.py:
     ----------
@@ -36,7 +38,8 @@ different modules).  Usage:
         config.parse()   # Very important, this must be invoked!
 
     If you set this up and remember to invoke config.parse(), all commandline
-    arguments will play nicely together:
+    arguments will play nicely together.  This is done automatically for you
+    if you're using the bootstrap module's initialize wrapper.
 
     % main.py -h
     usage: main.py [-h]
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ args = argparse.ArgumentParser(
     description=None,
     formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter,
     fromfile_prefix_chars="@",
-    epilog=f'------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n{program_name} uses config.py ({__file__}) for global, cross-module configuration setup and parsing.\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
+    epilog=f'{program_name} uses config.py ({__file__}) for global, cross-module configuration setup and parsing.'
 )
 
 # Keep track of if we've been called and prevent being called more
@@ -119,14 +122,14 @@ group.add_argument(
     '--config_dump',
     default=False,
     action='store_true',
-    help='Display the global configuration on STDERR at program startup.',
+    help='Display the global configuration (possibly derived from multiple sources) on STDERR at program startup.',
 )
 group.add_argument(
     '--config_savefile',
     type=str,
     metavar='FILENAME',
     default=None,
-    help='Populate config file compatible with --config_loadfile to save config for later use.',
+    help='Populate config file compatible with --config_loadfile to save global config for later use.',
 )
 
 
@@ -139,7 +142,10 @@ def is_flag_already_in_argv(var: str):
 
 
 def parse(entry_module: Optional[str]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Main program should call this early in main()"""
+    """Main program should call this early in main().  Note that the
+    bootstrap.initialize wrapper takes care of this automatically.
+
+    """
     global config_parse_called
     if config_parse_called:
         return config
@@ -162,8 +168,8 @@ def parse(entry_module: Optional[str]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
                     reordered_action_groups.insert(0, group)
             args._action_groups = reordered_action_groups
 
-    # Examine the environment variables that match known flags.  For a
-    # flag called --example_flag the corresponding environment
+    # Examine the environment for variables that match known flags.
+    # For a flag called --example_flag the corresponding environment
     # variable would be called EXAMPLE_FLAG.
     usage_message = args.format_usage()
     optional = False