Tab Completion does not work, if we register locally using register-python-argcomplete for a particular file only

[ssahu2021]

Issue description: Tab Completion does not work, if we register locally using register-python-argcomplete for a particular python file

Steps:

1. basic python program with argcomplete enabled with # PYTHON_ARGCOMPLETE_OK included
2. Registered python executable locally by adding to the bash file

   cat ~/.bashrc | grep eval
   eval "$(register-python-argcomplete deployment.py)"

3. Registered python executable same can be validated using below

   complete | grep deployment
   complete -o default -o nospace -F _python_argcomplete deployment.py

4. Executing the script and pressing TAB does not complete the completion python3 deployment.py

Env details: Python 3.6.9 bash 4.4.20(1)-release

Note: Not enabled activate-global-python-argcomplete globally, Since the use case trying to enable only specific file

[evanunderscore]

Please refer to this section of the README:

If you choose not to use global completion, or ship a completion module that depends on argcomplete, you must register your script explicitly using eval "$(register-python-argcomplete my-python-app)". Standard completion module registration rules apply: namely, the script name is passed directly to complete, meaning it is only tab completed when invoked exactly as it was registered. In the above example, my-python-app must be on the path, and the user must be attempting to complete it by that name. The above line alone would not allow you to complete ./my-python-app, or /path/to/my-python-app.

In this case, you would need to have deployment.py on your path and be executable as deployment.py.

[ssahu2021]

@evanunderscore As i mentioned on the 4th step, deployment.py on the same path, registred with same name eval "$(register-python-argcomplete deployment.py)" via .bashrc script

Have you noticed any mismatch in register and invocation steps mentioned above?

[evanunderscore]

You are running python3 deployment.py, but completion is registered for deployment.py, not python3. There is currently no way to register completion for a single script invoked via Python; that only works via global completion.

[ssahu2021]

Thank you for clarification @evanunderscore , With Global completion tab works.

[ssahu2021]

@evanunderscore One more observervation , positional arguments does not list for Subparsers upon TAB

Sample Script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# PYTHON_ARGCOMPLETE_OK

import argparse
import argcomplete

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest='command')

    # Define a subparser
    subparser_a = subparsers.add_parser('command_a', help='Command A')
    subparser_a.add_argument('--optinonal_arg_aa', help='Positional argument for command AA')
    subparser_a.add_argument('positional_arg_bb', help='Positional argument for command bb')

    # Define another subparser
    subparser_b = subparsers.add_parser('command_b', help='Command B')
    subparser_b.add_argument('positional_arg_b', help='Positional argument for command B')

    argcomplete.autocomplete(parser)
    args = parser.parse_args()
    print(args)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Result: TAB Completion only list the optional argument _not the Positional Argument i,e positional_arg_bb_

ssahu@rk051-s25:~/testing_dir$ ./test.py command_
command_a  command_b
ssahu@rk051-s25:~/testing_dir$ ./test.py command_a
 -h                     --help                 --optinonal_arg_aa     test.py

ssahu@rk051-s25:~/testing_dir$ ./test.py command_a -h
usage: test.py command_a [-h] [--optinonal_arg_aa OPTINONAL_ARG_AA] positional_arg_bb

positional arguments:
  positional_arg_bb     Positional argument for command bb

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --optinonal_arg_aa OPTINONAL_ARG_AA
                        Positional argument for command AA

[evanunderscore]

This is functioning as expected. You don't literally type positional_arg_bb on the command line, so argcomplete won't suggest it, in the same way it won't suggest anything for the value of the optional argument once you've typed the flag.

[kislyuk]

I am closing this issue for now as there is no indication of a bug in argcomplete. If you disagree, please comment about specific improvements that you wish to see, and we can discuss.