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I am using a library that specifically needs me to provide arguments as strings one by one. However, different combinations are possible. Right now I am using a bunch of elif:

def get_all_users(times=False, groups=False, ips=False):
    """Get a list of all users online"""
    if times and groups and ips:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "times", "groups", "ips")
    elif times and groups:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "times", "groups")
    elif times and ips:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "times", "ips")
    elif groups and ips:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "groups", "ips")
    elif times:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "times")
    elif groups:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "groups")
    elif ips:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", "ip")
    else:
        return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist")

But I am wondering if this could be improved.

NOTE: I tried if I could use tuples but it won't work:

stuff = (times, groups, ips)
return ts3conn.exec_("clientlist", stuff)
>>> TypeError: can only concatenate str (not "tuple") to str

Update:
Library is at: https://github.com/benediktschmitt/py-ts3/blob/v2/ts3/query_builder.py

The code raises error on function compile:

for option in options:
    res += " -" + option
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  • \$\begingroup\$ To be clear, could you point us to the documentation for the ts3conn object, whatever it is? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 0:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ See the updated code for documentation. ts3conn is a ts3.query.TS3ServerConnection object. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 0:59
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ You want ts3conn.exec_('clientlist', *stuff) (tuple splatting). But this is off topic for CR, as this isn't about improving working code. Rather, your attempt to use tuples yields an error, which is a question that is on topic for StackOverflow. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 3:31

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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You could use itertools.compress in combination with the tuple

def get_all_users(times=False, groups=False, ips=False):
    """Get a list of all users online"""
    arguments = ("clientlist", "times", "groups", "ips")
    selectors = (True, times, groups, ips)

    return ts3conn.exec_(*itertools.compress(arguments , selectors))

or in python 3.6+, using the retained insertion order of dicts (earlier versions can use an collections.ordereddict

def get_all_users(times=False, groups=False, ips=False):
    """Get a list of all users online"""
    arguments = {
        "clientlist": True,
        "times": times,
        "groups" : groups, 
        "ips": ips,
    }
    return ts3conn.exec_(*(key for key, value in arguments.items() if value))
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  • \$\begingroup\$ is there any reason to use orderdeddict post-3.7? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 14:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ the important part is the ordering of the dict. In Cpython, this is guarantued from python 3.7:Changed in version 3.7: Dictionary order is guaranteed to be insertion order. This behavior was an implementation detail of CPython from 3.6.. This might not be the case for PyPy or CPython 4.0 \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 14:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ at least current versions of pypy have iteration order=insertion order, and unless someone finds a faster type of dict, pypy won't change. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 17:45
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In Order to unpack a tuple you can use the * operator, then you just need to generate a tuple of selected options and expand it:

def get_all_users(times=False, groups=False, ips=False):
    """Get a list of all users online"""

    argument_list = ['clientlist']
    if times: 
        argument_list.append('times')
    if groups: 
        argument_list.append('groups')
    if ips: 
        argument_list.append('ips')
    arguments = tuple(argument_list)

    return ts3conn.exec_(*arguments)

From your question I guess you already have the tuple of arguments, this would make the entire process considerably easier.

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  • 3
    \$\begingroup\$ You don't actually need to convert to a tuple; lists are unpackable in the same way. i.e. return ts3conn.exec_(*argument_list) would work too. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 10:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HoboProber I am aware of that however I thoght I convert the list to a tuple as this is more in line with what OP asked, but good remark. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 10:38

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