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argparse custom help formatter

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Extended version of https://stackoverflow.com/documentation/python/7701/cli-subcommands/25282/argparse-default-help-formatter that fixed help output. 

import argparse
import sys

class CustomHelpFormatter(argparse.HelpFormatter):
    def _format_action(self, action):
        if type(action) == argparse._SubParsersAction:
            # inject new class variable for subcommand formatting
            subactions = action._get_subactions()
            invocations = [self._format_action_invocation(a) for a in subactions]
            self._subcommand_max_length = max(len(i) for i in invocations)

        if type(action) == argparse._SubParsersAction._ChoicesPseudoAction:
            # format subcommand help line
            subcommand = self._format_action_invocation(action) # type: str
            width = self._subcommand_max_length
            help_text = ""
            if action.help:
                help_text = self._expand_help(action)
            return "  {:{width}} -  {}\n".format(subcommand, help_text, width=width)

        elif type(action) == argparse._SubParsersAction:
            # process subcommand help section
            msg = '\n'
            for subaction in action._get_subactions():
                msg += self._format_action(subaction)
            return msg
        else:
            return super(CustomHelpFormatter, self)._format_action(action)

def check():
    print("status")
    return 0

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(usage="sub <command>", add_help=False,
             formatter_class=CustomHelpFormatter)

subparser = parser.add_subparsers(dest="cmd")
subparser.add_parser('status', help='show status')
subparser.add_parser('list', help='print list')

# custom help messge
parser._positionals.title = "commands"

# hack to show help when no arguments supplied
if len(sys.argv) == 1:
    parser.print_help()
    sys.exit(0)

args = parser.parse_args()

if args.cmd == 'list':
    print('list')
elif args.cmd == 'status':
    sys.exit(check())

Output without arguments: 

usage: sub <command>

commands:

  status -  show status
  list   -  print list
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CLI subcommands:
* CLI subcommands with precise help output
* Native way no libraries
* argparse default help formatter
* argparse custom help formatter
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