---
id: arguably
version: "1.3.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: dormant
---

# arguably — The best Python CLI library, arguably.

License: unclear · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 140.9K/mo

## What it is and what it does

arguably is a Python CLI framework that generates command-line interfaces directly from function definitions and docstrings. Instead of writing separate argument parsing code, you decorate functions with @arguably.command, and arguably automatically builds a CLI that mirrors the function signature—required arguments become positional, defaults become optional, and keyword-only arguments become options. It parses docstrings in multiple formats (reStructuredText, Google, Numpydoc, Epydoc) to populate help text, and uses type annotations to handle automatic conversion of arguments to the correct types, including support for enums, lists, tuples, and custom objects.

The package is built on argparse and depends only on docstring-parser for docstring extraction. It supports nested subcommands via function naming conventions (e.g., s3__ls becomes s3 ls), and can also be invoked without any code integration via python3 -m arguably on an existing script. It's designed for developers who want CLI functionality with minimal boilerplate and no need to learn a separate DSL.

Use it for:

- Quickly add a CLI to a script without writing argparse boilerplate or separate help text.
- Build multi-level command hierarchies (e.g., git-like subcommands) using only function naming.
- Convert a library of utility functions into a command-line tool with automatic help generation.
- Generate a CLI from an existing Python script using python3 -m arguably without modifying the source.
- Accept complex structured input (objects, enums, lists) from the command line with automatic type conversion.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Converts Python functions and their docstrings into command-line interfaces with minimal code changes, supporting nested subcommands and automatic type conversion.

Yes, if you need a lightweight CLI framework and can accept dormant maintenance. The package is stable, has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and works well for straightforward CLI needs. However, verify the license status before use in proprietary contexts, and be aware that active development has paused—bug fixes or new features are unlikely without community contribution.

## Install

pip install arguably
uv add arguably
poetry add arguably

## Installing arguably

Before you install: Low friction—pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (docstring-parser). Maintenance is dormant: last release was 2024-05-10, though the repository remains active and the package supports current Python versions (3.9–3.12).

License in practice: License status is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is recorded. Verify the actual license before using in proprietary or restricted contexts.

Quickstart:

pip install arguably

import arguably

@arguably.command
def greet(name: str, greeting: str = "Hello"):
    """Greet someone.
    
    Args:
        name: person to greet
        greeting: greeting to use
    """
    print(f"{greeting}, {name}!")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    arguably.run()

Requires Python 3.9 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the unclear license status reflects a genuine gap or a metadata issue in the package repository.
- Current maintenance intent: whether dormancy reflects stable maturity or abandoned status.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 140.9K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

python function to cli, docstring-based command line, cli decorator library, argparse wrapper, automatic cli generation, subcommand framework, python cli builder, cli-generation, argparse-wrapper, decorator-based

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/arguably) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/arguably/)