WordLookup

This repo serves as a companion resource for the Packaging Python Command-Line Apps the Modern Way with uv tutorial found on thisdavej.com.

Intro

WordLookup is a command-line tool to fetch and display definitions for a given word using the Dictionary API.

Usage

Run the CLI tool with the word you want to look up as an argument:

wordlookup <word>

Example

To look up the word "sojourn":

wordlookup sojourn

Output:

Definitions for 'sojourn':

noun:
- A short stay somewhere.
- A temporary residence.

verb:
- To reside somewhere temporarily, especially as a guest or lodger.

Notes

• The tool attempts to format the output to fit your terminal width.
• If the terminal width cannot be determined, it defaults to 80 characters.
• Ensure you have an active internet connection as the tool fetches data from an external API.

Installation

Wordlookup is available on PyPI and can be installed in multiple ways:

# using uv
uv tool install wordlookup

# using pipx
pipx install wordlookup

# using pip
pip install wordlookup

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Python 3.13
• uv package manager

Installation from source

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/thisdavej/wordlookup-tutorial.git
cd wordlookup-tutorial

1. Build using uv:

uv build

1. Test the Python wheel created during the build step:

uv tool run wordlookup

# You can also use `uvx` which is an alias for `uv tool run`
uvx wordlookup

1. Install the Python wheel persistently:

uv tool install wordlookup

Distributing the Python wheel (.whl) file to others to install

Note: These next steps are not necessary if you simply want to install and use this package from PyPI as described in the Installation section.

1. Run/test the command provided in the wheel without explicitly installing into a persistent environment or adding it to our system's PATH.

uv tool run wordlookup-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl

# You can also use `uvx` which is an alias for `uv tool run`
uvx wordlookup-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
``

1. Install the Python wheel

```sh
uv tool install wordlookup-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl

Development

To see your development changes in action instantly, use uv run:

uv run wordlookup <word>

This command will execute the tool with your most recent code modifications.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.