arg-kiss 0.1.3

arg-kiss — Keep It Stupidly Simple CLI builder on top of argparse

arg-kiss — Keep It Stupidly Simple CLI builder on top of argparse

Write type-annotated Python functions, get a CLI with argparse's native --help — no magic, no bloat.

arg-kiss is a fork of cliss with one key difference: no custom --help.
It uses argparse's standard help output instead of a custom formatter. If you want coloured help, Argument objects, and more features — use cliss.

✨ Features

• Zero Dependencies — Pure stdlib: argparse, asyncio, inspect
• Type-Driven — Automatic arguments from function signatures and type hints
• Async-Native — async def handlers with automatic event loop management
• Bool Flags — Automatic --name/--no-name mutually exclusive group
• Command Groups — Nested subcommands via cli.group()
• Standard --help — Clean argparse output, nothing custom

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

pip install arg-kiss

Usage

from arg_kiss import CLI

cli = CLI(name="todo", description="Task manager")

@cli.command()
def add(task: str, priority: int = 1, done: bool = False):
    """Add a task."""
    status = "✓" if done else "○"
    print(f"[{status}] {task} (priority: {priority})")

cli.run()

$ python todo.py --help
usage: todo [-h] {add} ...

Task manager

options:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit

Commands:
  {add}
    add        Add a task.

$ python todo.py add --help
usage: todo add [-h] [--priority PRIORITY] [--done | --no-done] task

Add a task.

positional arguments:
  task

options:
  -h, --help           show this help message and exit
  --priority PRIORITY  (default: 1)
  --done               Enable done
  --no-done            Disable done

📋 API Reference

CLI class

CLI(name="myapp", description="Description")

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
name	str	None	None
description	str	None	None
version	str	None	None

Type → CLI Mapping

Function Signature	CLI Argument
name: str	Positional name
count: int = 1	--count 1
verbose: bool = False	--verbose / --no-verbose
mode: str | None = None	--mode MODE

📖 Examples

Multiple Commands

from arg_kiss import CLI

cli = CLI(name="db", description="Simple database")

db = {}

@cli.command()
def set(key: str, value: str):
    """Store a value."""
    db[key] = value
    print(f"OK: {key} = {value}")

@cli.command()
def get(key: str):
    """Retrieve a value."""
    print(db.get(key, "Not found"))

@cli.command()
def delete(key: str, force: bool = False):
    """Delete a key."""
    if force or key in db:
        db.pop(key, None)
        print(f"Deleted: {key}")
    else:
        print(f"Not found (use --force)")

cli.run()

$ python db.py --help
usage: db [-h] {set,get,delete} ...

Simple database

options:
  -h, --help       show this help message and exit

Commands:
  {set,get,delete}
    set            Store a value.
    get            Retrieve a value.
    delete         Delete a key.

$ python db.py set hello world
OK: hello = world

$ python db.py get hello
world

Command Groups

cli = CLI(name="git", description="Version control")

remote = cli.group("remote", "Manage remotes")
stash = cli.group("stash", "Stash changes")

@remote.command()
def add(name: str, url: str):
    """Add a remote."""
    print(f"Added remote {name} -> {url}")

@stash.command()
def push(message: str = ""):
    """Stash changes."""
    print(f"Stashed: {message or 'WIP'}")

cli.run()

$ python git.py --help
usage: git [-h] {remote,stash} ...

Version control

options:
  -h, --help       show this help message and exit

Commands:
  {remote,stash}
    remote         Manage remotes
    stash          Stash changes

$ python git.py remote --help
usage: git remote [-h] {add} ...

options:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit

Subcommands:
  {add}
    add        Add a remote.

$ python git.py remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo
Added remote origin -> https://github.com/user/repo

Async Commands

@cli.command()
async def fetch(url: str, retries: int = 3):
    """Fetch a URL."""
    import httpx
    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
        r = await client.get(url)
        print(f"Status: {r.status_code}")

❓ FAQ

arg-kiss vs cliss?

arg-kiss is a fork of cliss that removes the custom --help formatter. Use arg-kiss if you want:

• Standard argparse --help output
• Zero dependencies beyond stdlib
• Simple, predictable behaviour

Use cliss if you want:

• Coloured terminal output
• Argument descriptor objects
• Custom error messages
• More features overall

Why fork instead of a flag?

The custom help system in cliss is deeply integrated (custom formatter, colour library, error handling). A fork keeps arg-kiss clean and minimal while letting cliss grow independently.

Bool flags?

Automatic --name/--no-name mutually exclusive group with store_true/store_false.

Async?

async def handlers auto-run with asyncio.run().

📄 License

MIT — see LICENSE file.

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Author: Fkernel653
Repository: github.com/Fkernel653/arg-kiss
PyPI: pypi.org/project/arg-kiss
Based on: cliss — a richer CLI framework with coloured help