Search or count for multiple extensions

[victordomingos]

• search or count for multiple extensions: count-files --multi-exensions txt py

Originally posted by @NataliaBondarenko in #84 (comment)

[victordomingos]

How can we configure argparse to read a variable number of parameters (file extensions)?

[NataliaBondarenko]

I think this can be done for the table: add another parameter.

def count_files_by_extension():
    counters = Counter()
    dirpath = os.path.expanduser(dirpath)

    def count_file_extensions(files: Iterable[str], no_feedback: bool = no_feedback):
        for f in files:
            extension = get_file_extension(f, case_sensitive=case_sensitive)
            # if extension-list:
            #    ext = extension if case_sensitive else extension.upper()
            #        if ext not in extension-list:
            #            continue
            ext = extension if case_sensitive else extension.upper()
            if ext not in ['PY', 'MD']:
                continue
            if extension == '.':
                extension = '[no extension]'
            counters[extension] += 1
            if not no_feedback:
                print("\r"+os.path.basename(f)[:TERM_WIDTH-1].ljust(TERM_WIDTH-1), end="")
. . .

or take a counter with all extensions and display only the required extensions

[NataliaBondarenko]

It is also possible to limit the number of extensions in the list.

parser.add_argument('--extension-list', nargs=5)

[victordomingos]

I am afraid that this kind of changes may turn our CLI user interface more difficult to use. Do you know of some other utility that implements arguments with a variable number of values/parameters like we are envisioning now, in a nice way?

[NataliaBondarenko]

there is one for PowerShell:

[victordomingos]

In this case, they use the -Path argument to help distinguish a path from a file extension. We would probably need to add it also (something like count-files -path PATH), instead of allowing a simple count-files PATH, right? Or is there any other option?

[NataliaBondarenko]

count-files -path PATH Yes, it is necessary to add - so it will be clearer.

[victordomingos]

Well, I really liked that way we were able to do a quick count by using count-files FOLDER_PATH. If feels strange being forced to add that -path.

Also, I would rather prefer a single-character shortcut. Since we already have a -p for preview, it could be -i (input), -s (source), -l (location).