Python command line tool for compiling py files to exec files on Mac

Question

When I used to use a PC I was familiar with py2exe, the mac equivalent I saw most people talking about was py2app — which compiles python to .app files, not .exec files. I was familiar with compiling C files to execs on mac, and I had heard of cython (but I had never used it before), so I figured I could write something to go from python to cython to an exec. I initially did not write this for anyone else to use — but now I'm thinking about packaging it as a pip module.

This is my first time building a command line tool for executing shell commands and messing with files and directories.

"""(PYCX) PYthon to Cython to eXec, a unix command line util
Usage:
  pycx FILES... [-o DIR --show --delete --run]
  pycx --help

Options:
  FILES              one or more python files to compile
  -o --output=DIR    output directory
  -s --show          show output from exec compiling
  -d --delete        delete the c file after compiling exec
  -r --run           run the exec after compiling
  -h --help          show this screen.
"""
import os, re
from docopt import docopt

args = docopt(__doc__)

# the two pathnames below tell gcc where python is so that cython can be compiled to an exec
INCLUDES = '/usr/local/opt/python/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/include/python3.7m'
LIBRARY  = '/usr/local/Cellar/python/3.7.2_2/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/lib'
HIDEDATA = '&>/dev/null'  # this is used to hide output while compiling C files

for pyFILE in args['FILES']:
    if pyFILE.endswith('.py'):  # file must be a python file
        path, name = os.path.split(pyFILE)  # split full path to seperate path & filename

        cFILE  = re.sub('\.py$', '.c', pyFILE)  # name of the file with .c extension & path
        FILE   = re.sub('\.py$', '', name)  # name of the file with no extension or path

        PATH   = path + '/' if path is not '' else '.'  # if in current directory, path = '.'
        OUTPUT = args['--output'] + '/' if args['--output'] else ''  # blank if no arg given
        SHOW   = HIDEDATA if not args['--show'] else ''  # will hide gcc output if SHOW is false
        # this command will be used to delete the C file
        DELETE = f'find {PATH} -name "{FILE}.c" -type f|xargs rm -f' if args['--delete'] else ''
        RUN    = f'./{OUTPUT}{FILE}' if args['--run'] else ''  # command to run the exec

        commands = [  # cython to make C file, gcc to compile to exec, and some options
            f"cython --embed -o {cFILE} {pyFILE}",  # convert python to cython C file
            # compile cython C file to exec file
            f"gcc -v -Os -I {INCLUDES} -L {LIBRARY} {cFILE} -o {OUTPUT}{FILE} " + \
            # source python & other options -- hide or show, delete C file, run exec
            f"-lpython3.7 -lpthread -lm -lutil -ldl {SHOW}", f"{DELETE}", f"{RUN}"
        ]
        for command in commands:
            os.system(command)  # execute commands above, excluding blank commands
    else:
        print(__doc__)  # show the help menu if user doesn't put a python file

Besides modifying INCLUDES and LIBRARY to work with varying path locations, are there any other major problems preventing this from working as a python module? Does this even seem like a tool some people might use?

Answer 1

I recommend that you read PEP 8.

• It's advised against doing import os, re. Instead have one line dedicated to each import.
• You should have an empty line between importing third party libraries and standard library ones.
• In Python it's standard to use snake_case.
• You should only have one space either side of the equals sign when performing assignment.
• Rather than doing path is not '' you should use the != operator.
• '\.py$' is deprecated in Python 3.6, and will become a syntax error in a future version of Python. Instead use r'\.py$'.
• Don't mix ' and " string delimiters. Unless it's to do "'".
• You don't need to use a \ for line breaking as your within brackets.
• You should have the + in front of the next line, rather than the end of the previous line.

---

• Your variable names are crap. path, name FILE, cFILE, PATH. The reason you need your comments is because of this.
• If you fix your variable names your comments are useless.
• Don't make a list to then call os.system just call it straight away.
• Use pathlib, it singlehandedly makes your code ridiculously simple.
• Put your code in an if __name__ == '__main__' guard. You don't want to destroy things by accident.

_untested:

"""(PYCX) PYthon to Cython to eXec, a unix command line util
Usage:
  pycx FILES... [-o DIR --show --delete --run]
  pycx --help

Options:
  FILES              one or more python files to compile
  -o --output=DIR    output directory
  -s --show          show output from exec compiling
  -d --delete        delete the c file after compiling exec
  -r --run           run the exec after compiling
  -h --help          show this screen.
"""
import os
from pathlib import Path

from docopt import docopt


INCLUDES = '/usr/local/opt/python/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/include/python3.7m'
LIBRARY = '/usr/local/Cellar/python/3.7.2_2/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/lib'
HIDEDATA = '&>/dev/null'


def main(args):
    for path in args['FILES']:
        path = Path(path)
        if path.suffix != '.py':
            print(__doc__)
            continue

        output = Path(args['--output'] or '') / path.stem
        c_file = path.parent / path.stem + '.c'

        os.system(f'cython --embed -o {c_file} {path}')
        os.system(
            f'gcc -v -Os -I {INCLUDES} -L {LIBRARY} {c_file} '
            f'-o {output} -lpython3.7 -lpthread -lm -lutil -ldl '
            + HIDEDATA if not args['--show'] else ''
        )

        if args['--delete']:
            os.system(
                f'find {path.parent} -name "{path.stem}.c" -type f'
                f'|xargs rm -f'
            )

        if args['--run']:
            os.system(f'{output}')


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main(docopt(__doc__))

Answer 2

This code is obviated by @Peilonrayz, which has posted a good solution. However, in the future, if you need to do something like

PATH = path + '/' if path is not '' else '.'

you're better off to do

PATH = (path or '.') + '/'

Otherwise, the other suggestion is complete.