#!/usr/bin/python

import sys

import getopt

class Usage(Exception):

    def __init__(self, msg):

        self.msg = msg

def main(argv=None):

    if argv is None:

        argv = sys.argv

    try:

        try:

            opts, args = getopt.getopt(argv[1:], "h", ["help"])

        except getopt.error, msg:

            raise Usage(msg)

    except Usage, err:

        print >>sys.stderr, err.msg

        print >>sys.stderr, "for help use --help"

        return 2

if __name__ == "__main__":

    sys.exit(main())

>>> import getopt, sys

>>> arg = '-a -b -c foo -d bar a1 a2'

>>> optlist, args = getopt.getopt( sys.argv[1:], 'abc:d:' )

>>> optlist

[('-a', ''), ('-b', ''), ('-c', 'foo'), ('-d', 'bar')]

>>> args

['a1', 'a2']

>>> arg = '--condition=foo --testing --output-file abc.def -x a1 a2'

>>> optlist, args = getopt.getopt( sys.argv[1:], 'x', ['condition=', 'output-file=', 'testing'] )

>>> optlist

[ ('--condition', 'foo'), ('--testing', ''), ('--output-file', 'abc.def'), ('-x','') ]

>>> args

['a1', 'a2']