PyInputPlus

A Python 2 and 3 module to provide input()- and raw_input()-like functions with additional validation features, including:

• Re-prompting the user if they enter invalid input.
• Validating for numeric, boolean, date, time, or yes/no responses.
• Timeouts or retry limits for user responses.
• Specifying regexes for whitelists or blacklists of responses.
• Specifying ranges for numeric inputs.
• Presenting menus with bulleted, lettered, or numbered options.
• Allowing case-sensitive or case-insensitive responses.

Installation

pip install pyinputplus

Example Usage

>>> import pyinputplus as pyip
>>> result = pyip.inputStr()

Blank values are not allowed.
Hello
>>> result
'Hello'

>>> result = pyip.inputNum()
forty two
'forty two' is not a number.
42
>>> result
42

>>> result = pyip.inputNum(min=4, max=6)
3
Input must be at minimum 4.
7
Input must be at maximum 6.
4
>>> result
4

>>> result = pyip.inputNum(greaterThan=4, lessThan=6)
4
Input must be greater than 4.
4.1
>>> result
4.1

>>> result = pyip.inputStr('Favorite animal> ', blacklistRegexes=['moose'])
Favorite animal> moose
This response is invalid.
Favorite animal> cat
>>> result
'cat'

>>> result = inputMenu(['dog', 'cat', 'moose'])
Please select one of the following:
* dog
* cat
* moose
DoG
>>> result
'dog'

>>> result = inputMenu(['dog', 'cat', 'moose'], lettered=True, numbered=False)
Please select one of the following:
A. dog
B. cat
C. moose
b
>>> result
'cat'

Common Input Function Parameters

All input functions have the following parameters:

• prompt (str): The text to display before each prompt for user input. Identical to the prompt argument for Python's raw_input() and input() functions. Default
• default (str, None): A default value to use should the user time out or exceed the number of tries to enter valid input.
• blank (bool): If True, blank strings will be allowed as valid user input.
• timeout (int, float): The number of seconds since the first prompt for input after which a TimeoutException is raised the next time the user enters input.
• limit (int): The number of tries the user has to enter valid input before the default value is returned.
• strip (bool, str, None): If True, whitespace is stripped from value. If a str, the characters in it are stripped from value. If None, nothing is stripped. Defaults to True.
• whitelistRegexes (Sequence, None): A sequence of regex str that will explicitly pass validation, even if they aren't numbers. Defaults to None.
• blacklistRegexes (Sequence, None): A sequence of regex str or (regex_str, response_str) tuples that, if matched, will explicitly fail validation. Defaults to None.
• applyFunc (Callable, None): An optional function that is passed the user's input, and returns the new value to use as the input.
• validationFunc (Callable): A function that is passed the user's input value, which raises an exception if the input isn't valid. (The return value of this function is ignored.)
• postValidateApplyFunc (Callable): An optional function that is passed the user's input after it has passed validation, and returns a transformed version for the input function to return.

Other input functions may have additional parameters.

Input Functions

• inputStr() - Accepts a string. Use this if you basically want Python's input() or raw_input(), but with PyInputPlus features such as whitelist/blacklist, timeouts, limits, etc.
• inputNum() - Accepts a numeric number. Additionally has min and max parameters for inclusive bounds and greaterThan and lessThan parameters for exclusive bounds. Returns an int or float, not a str.
• inputInt() - Accepts an integer number. Also has min/max/greaterThan/lessThan parameters. Returns an int, not a str.
• inputFloat() - Accepts a floating-point number. Also has min/max/greaterThan/lessThan parameters. Returns a float, not a str.
• inputBool() - Accepts a case-insensitive form of 'True', 'T', 'False', or 'F' and returns a bool value.
• inputChoice() - Accepts one of the strings in the list of strings passed for its choices parameter.
• inputMenu() - Similar to inputChoice(), but will also present the choices in a menu with 1, 2, 3... or A, B, C... options if numbered or lettered are set to True.
• inputDate() - Accepts a date typed in one of the strftime formats passed to the formats parameter. (This has several common formats by default.) Returns a datetime.date object.
• inputDatetime() - Same as inputDate(), except it handles dates and times. (This has several common formats by default.) Returns a datetime.datetime object.
• inputTime() - Same as inputDate(), except it handles times. (This has several common formats by default.) Returns a datetime.time object.
• inputYesNo() - Accepts a case-insensitive form of 'Yes', 'Y', 'No', or 'N' and returns 'yes' or 'no'.