The command line interface (CLI) for Python provides a powerful way to interact with the Python interpreter and execute scripts. This interface allows users to run Python code, pass arguments, and control the behavior of the interpreter through various options.

Basic Usage

To run a Python script from the command line, you can use the python command followed by the script name:

This command executes the Python code contained in myscript.py.

Common Options

Python's command line interface supports several options that modify the behavior of the interpreter:

• -c <command>: Execute the Python code in the given command. python -c "print('Hello, World!')"

• -m <module-name>: Search sys.path for the named module and execute its contents as the __main__ module. python -m timeit -s "setup code" "benchmark code"

• -i: Enter interactive mode after executing the script or command. python -i myscript.py

• -O and -OO: Optimize the generated bytecode by removing assert statements and docstrings. python -O myscript.py

• -V or --version: Print the Python version number and exit. python --version