Python Subprocess Multiple Arguments [Explained]

How To Send Multiple Arguments To A Python Through Subprocess python?

You can use the subprocess module to run external commands or processes with multiple arguments.

You can do this using the subprocess.run() function or other functions like subprocess.Popen().

Here’s how you can pass multiple arguments to an external command using subprocess.run():

import subprocess

# Define the command and its arguments as a list
command = ["command_name", "arg1", "arg2", "arg3"]

# Run the command
result = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)

# Check the result
if result.returncode == 0:
    print("Command executed successfully")
    print("Output:", result.stdout)
else:
    print("Command failed")
    print("Error:", result.stderr)
Code language: Python (python)

In the code above:

  1. command is a list containing the command name and its arguments. You can add as many arguments as needed to this list.
  2. subprocess.run() is used to run the command. You pass the command list as the first argument, and you can specify additional options like stdout, stderr, and text to control how the command is executed and how the output is handled.
  3. The result.returncode attribute is used to check the return code of the command. A return code of 0 typically indicates success, while non-zero values indicate an error.
  4. You can access the output of the command using result.stdout and any error messages using result.stderr.

Make sure to replace "command_name", "arg1", "arg2", and "arg3" with the actual command and arguments you want to run.

This is a basic example, and you can customize it further based on your specific needs, such as redirecting input, handling exceptions, or using different subprocess functions like subprocess.Popen() for more advanced use cases.

Subprocess And Running A Bash Script With Multiple Arguments

Assuming you have a Bash script named myscript.sh and you want to run it with multiple arguments using subprocess, you can do something like this:

import subprocess

# Define the Bash script and its arguments as a list
script = "./myscript.sh"
arguments = ["arg1", "arg2", "arg3"]

# Combine the script and its arguments into a single list
command = [script] + arguments

# Run the script
result = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)

# Check the result
if result.returncode == 0:
    print("Script executed successfully")
    print("Output:", result.stdout)
else:
    print("Script failed")
    print("Error:", result.stderr)
Code language: Python (python)

In this example:

  • script contains the path to the Bash script you want to run.
  • arguments is a list containing the arguments you want to pass to the script.
  • command combines the script and its arguments into a single list.
  • The rest of the code is similar to the previous answer, where you run the script using subprocess.run(), capture its output, and check the return code for success or failure.

This approach allows you to run a Bash script with multiple arguments using the subprocess module in Python.

Python subprocess run() with multiple arguments on Windows

Running a command with multiple arguments using the subprocess module in Python on Windows is very similar to running it on other platforms. You need to provide the command and its arguments as a list and then use the subprocess.run() function to execute it. Here’s an example:

import subprocess

# Define the command and its arguments as a list
command = ["executable_name", "arg1", "arg2", "arg3"]

# Run the command
result = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)

# Check the result
if result.returncode == 0:
    print("Command executed successfully")
    print("Output:", result.stdout)
else:
    print("Command failed")
    print("Error:", result.stderr)
Code language: Python (python)

In this example:

  1. executable_name should be replaced with the actual name of the executable or script you want to run.
  2. arg1, arg2, arg3, and so on, are the arguments you want to pass to the executable.
  3. subprocess.run() is used to run the command, similar to the previous examples. You can customize the stdout, stderr, and text parameters as needed.
  4. result.returncode is used to check the return code of the command, where a return code of 0 indicates success.

Make sure to replace "executable_name", "arg1", "arg2", and "arg3" with the actual executable and arguments you want to use.

This approach is platform-agnostic and can be used on Windows as well as other operating systems to run commands with multiple arguments using the subprocess module in Python.

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  • Aniket Singh

    Aniket Singh holds a B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from Oriental University. He is a skilled programmer with a strong coding background, having hands-on experience in developing advanced projects, particularly in Python and the Django framework. Aniket has worked on various real-world industry projects and has a solid command of Python, Django, REST API, PostgreSQL, as well as proficiency in C and C++. He is eager to collaborate with experienced professionals to further enhance his skills.

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