↔️ Automagic shell tab completion for Python CLI applications
See the code|Logo|
shtab
=====
|Tests| |Coverage| |Quality|
|PyPI| |Conda|
|PyPI-Downloads| |Licence|
- What: Automatically generate shell tab completion scripts for Python CLI apps
- Why: Speed & correctness. Alternatives like
`argcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/argcomplete>`_ and
`pyzshcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/pyzshcomplete>`_ are slow and have
side-effects
- How: ``shtab`` processes an ``argparse.ArgumentParser`` object to generate a
tab completion script for your shell
Features
--------
- Outputs tab completion scripts for multiple shells
- ``bash``, ``zsh``, ``fish``, ``tcsh``, ``powershell``
- Supports
- `argparse <https://docs.python.org/library/argparse>`_
- `docopt <https://pypi.org/project/docopt>`_ (via `argopt <https://pypi.org/project/argopt>`_)
- `click <https://pypi.org/project/click>`_
- ``<arguments>``, ``--options`` and ``sub commands``
- Choices (``--say={hello,goodbye}``)
- Paths (``--file={*.y*ml,*.toml}``, ``--dir=*/``)
- Dynamic shell commands (``--branch=$(git branch)``)
------------------------------------------
.. contents:: Table of Contents
:backlinks: top
Installation
------------
Choose one of:
- ``pip install shtab``, or
- ``conda install -c conda-forge shtab``
See `operating system-specific instructions in the docs <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/#installation>`_.
Usage
-----
There are two ways of using ``shtab``:
- `CLI Usage <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#cli-usage>`_: ``shtab``'s own CLI interface for external applications
- may not require any code modifications whatsoever
- end-users execute ``shtab your_cli_app.your_parser_object``
- `Library Usage <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#library-usage>`_: as a library integrated into your CLI application
- adds a couple of lines to your application
- argument mode: end-users execute ``your_cli_app --print-completion {bash,zsh,tcsh,fish,powershell}``
- subparser mode: end-users execute ``your_cli_app completion {bash,zsh,tcsh,fish,powershell}``
Examples
--------
See `the docs for usage examples <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/>`_.
FAQs
----
Not working? Check out `frequently asked questions <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/#faqs>`_.
Alternatives
------------
All these execute the underlying script *every* time ``<TAB>`` is pressed (slow and have side-effects):
- `argcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/argcomplete>`_
- `pyzshcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/pyzshcomplete>`_ (only provides ``zsh`` completion)
- `click <https://pypi.org/project/click>`_ (don't want to migrate away from ``click``? Use ``shtab``'s one-liner click integration `in the CLI <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#click>`_ or `in a library <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#library-usage>`_)
Contributions
-------------
Please do open `issues <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/issues>`_ & `pull requests <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/pulls>`_! Some ideas:
- support ``python -m`` prefix (`#55 <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/issues/55>`_)
See
`CONTRIBUTING.md <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md>`_
for more guidance.
|git-fame|
|Hits|
.. |Logo| image:: https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/raw/main/meta/logo.png
.. |Tests| image:: https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/tqdm/shtab/test.yml?logo=github&label=tests
:target: https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/actions
:alt: Tests
.. |Coverage| image:: https://codecov.io/gh/tqdm/shtab/branch/main/graph/badge.svg
:target: https://codecov.io/gh/tqdm/shtab
:alt: Coverage
.. |Quality| image:: https://app.codacy.com/project/badge/Grade/0ce50da5c6e04236a891b092c7012753
:target: https://app.codacy.com/gh/tqdm/shtab/dashboard
:alt: Quality
.. |Conda| image:: https://img.shields.io/conda/v/conda-forge/shtab.svg?label=conda&logo=conda-forge
:target: https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/shtab
:alt: conda-forge
.. |PyPI| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/shtab.svg?label=pip&logo=PyPI&logoColor=white
:target: https://pypi.org/project/shtab
:alt: PyPI
.. |PyPI-Downloads| image:: https://static.pepy.tech/personalized-badge/shtab?left_text=downloads%2Fmonth
:target: https://pepy.tech/project/shtab
:alt: Downloads
.. |git-fame| image:: https://git-fame.cdcl.ml/gh/tqdm/shtab?min=1&w=1&M=1&C=1&enum=1
:alt: git-fame
:target: https://git-fame.cdcl.ml/gh/tqdm/shtab?w=1&M=1&C=1&enum=1
.. |Hits| image:: https://cgi.cdcl.ml/hits?q=shtab&style=social&r=https://github.com/tqdm/shtab&a=hidden
:target: https://cgi.cdcl.ml/hits?q=shtab&a=plot&r=https://github.com/tqdm/shtab&style=social
:alt: Hits
.. |LICENCE| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/l/shtab.svg
:target: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tqdm/shtab/main/LICENCE
Not written in Markdown, so it's shown here as plain text — view it formatted on GitHub.
333 followers · starred Jun 2025
633 followers · starred Mar 2021
1,718 followers · starred Nov 2025
247 followers · starred May 2021
↔️ Automagic shell tab completion for Python CLI applications
See the code|Logo|
shtab
=====
|Tests| |Coverage| |Quality|
|PyPI| |Conda|
|PyPI-Downloads| |Licence|
- What: Automatically generate shell tab completion scripts for Python CLI apps
- Why: Speed & correctness. Alternatives like
`argcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/argcomplete>`_ and
`pyzshcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/pyzshcomplete>`_ are slow and have
side-effects
- How: ``shtab`` processes an ``argparse.ArgumentParser`` object to generate a
tab completion script for your shell
Features
--------
- Outputs tab completion scripts for multiple shells
- ``bash``, ``zsh``, ``fish``, ``tcsh``, ``powershell``
- Supports
- `argparse <https://docs.python.org/library/argparse>`_
- `docopt <https://pypi.org/project/docopt>`_ (via `argopt <https://pypi.org/project/argopt>`_)
- `click <https://pypi.org/project/click>`_
- ``<arguments>``, ``--options`` and ``sub commands``
- Choices (``--say={hello,goodbye}``)
- Paths (``--file={*.y*ml,*.toml}``, ``--dir=*/``)
- Dynamic shell commands (``--branch=$(git branch)``)
------------------------------------------
.. contents:: Table of Contents
:backlinks: top
Installation
------------
Choose one of:
- ``pip install shtab``, or
- ``conda install -c conda-forge shtab``
See `operating system-specific instructions in the docs <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/#installation>`_.
Usage
-----
There are two ways of using ``shtab``:
- `CLI Usage <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#cli-usage>`_: ``shtab``'s own CLI interface for external applications
- may not require any code modifications whatsoever
- end-users execute ``shtab your_cli_app.your_parser_object``
- `Library Usage <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#library-usage>`_: as a library integrated into your CLI application
- adds a couple of lines to your application
- argument mode: end-users execute ``your_cli_app --print-completion {bash,zsh,tcsh,fish,powershell}``
- subparser mode: end-users execute ``your_cli_app completion {bash,zsh,tcsh,fish,powershell}``
Examples
--------
See `the docs for usage examples <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/>`_.
FAQs
----
Not working? Check out `frequently asked questions <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/#faqs>`_.
Alternatives
------------
All these execute the underlying script *every* time ``<TAB>`` is pressed (slow and have side-effects):
- `argcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/argcomplete>`_
- `pyzshcomplete <https://pypi.org/project/pyzshcomplete>`_ (only provides ``zsh`` completion)
- `click <https://pypi.org/project/click>`_ (don't want to migrate away from ``click``? Use ``shtab``'s one-liner click integration `in the CLI <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#click>`_ or `in a library <https://tqdm.github.io/shtab/use/#library-usage>`_)
Contributions
-------------
Please do open `issues <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/issues>`_ & `pull requests <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/pulls>`_! Some ideas:
- support ``python -m`` prefix (`#55 <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/issues/55>`_)
See
`CONTRIBUTING.md <https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md>`_
for more guidance.
|git-fame|
|Hits|
.. |Logo| image:: https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/raw/main/meta/logo.png
.. |Tests| image:: https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/tqdm/shtab/test.yml?logo=github&label=tests
:target: https://github.com/tqdm/shtab/actions
:alt: Tests
.. |Coverage| image:: https://codecov.io/gh/tqdm/shtab/branch/main/graph/badge.svg
:target: https://codecov.io/gh/tqdm/shtab
:alt: Coverage
.. |Quality| image:: https://app.codacy.com/project/badge/Grade/0ce50da5c6e04236a891b092c7012753
:target: https://app.codacy.com/gh/tqdm/shtab/dashboard
:alt: Quality
.. |Conda| image:: https://img.shields.io/conda/v/conda-forge/shtab.svg?label=conda&logo=conda-forge
:target: https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/shtab
:alt: conda-forge
.. |PyPI| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/shtab.svg?label=pip&logo=PyPI&logoColor=white
:target: https://pypi.org/project/shtab
:alt: PyPI
.. |PyPI-Downloads| image:: https://static.pepy.tech/personalized-badge/shtab?left_text=downloads%2Fmonth
:target: https://pepy.tech/project/shtab
:alt: Downloads
.. |git-fame| image:: https://git-fame.cdcl.ml/gh/tqdm/shtab?min=1&w=1&M=1&C=1&enum=1
:alt: git-fame
:target: https://git-fame.cdcl.ml/gh/tqdm/shtab?w=1&M=1&C=1&enum=1
.. |Hits| image:: https://cgi.cdcl.ml/hits?q=shtab&style=social&r=https://github.com/tqdm/shtab&a=hidden
:target: https://cgi.cdcl.ml/hits?q=shtab&a=plot&r=https://github.com/tqdm/shtab&style=social
:alt: Hits
.. |LICENCE| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/l/shtab.svg
:target: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tqdm/shtab/main/LICENCE
Not written in Markdown, so it's shown here as plain text — view it formatted on GitHub.
333 followers · starred Jun 2025
633 followers · starred Mar 2021
1,718 followers · starred Nov 2025
247 followers · starred May 2021