Non-parsing actions now have a common base class to ease identification (#793)

Author: mauvilsa

CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ Changed
 - Moved location of ``Path`` class from ``jsonargparse`` to
   ``jsonargparse.typing`` (`#792
   <https://github.com/omni-us/jsonargparse/pull/792>`__).
+- Non-parsing actions now have a common base class to ease identification
+  (`#793 <https://github.com/omni-us/jsonargparse/pull/793>`__).
 
 
 v4.42.0 (2025-10-14)

jsonargparse/_actions.py

@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 import re
 import sys
 import warnings
-from argparse import SUPPRESS, _HelpAction, _SubParsersAction
+from argparse import SUPPRESS, _HelpAction, _SubParsersAction, _VersionAction
 from argparse import Action as ArgparseAction
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from contextvars import ContextVar
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Type, Union
 
-from ._common import Action, is_not_subclass_type, is_subclass, parser_context
+from ._common import Action, NonParsingAction, is_not_subclass_type, is_subclass, parser_context
 from ._loaders_dumpers import get_loader_exceptions, load_value
 from ._namespace import Namespace, NSKeyError, split_key, split_key_root
 from ._optionals import _get_config_read_mode, ruamel_support
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 def _is_branch_key(parser, key: str) -> bool:
     root_key = split_key_root(key)[0]
-    for action in filter_default_actions(parser._actions):
+    for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(parser._actions):
         if isinstance(action, _ActionSubCommands) and root_key in action._name_parser_map:
             subparser = action._name_parser_map[root_key]
             return _is_branch_key(subparser, split_key_root(key)[1])
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def _find_action_and_subcommand(
     Returns:
         The action if found, otherwise None.
     """
-    actions = filter_default_actions(parser._actions)
+    actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(parser._actions)
     if exclude is not None:
         actions = [a for a in actions if not isinstance(a, exclude)]
     fallback_action = None
@@ -138,13 +138,13 @@ def remove(actions):
         remove(action_group._group_actions)
 
 
-def filter_default_actions(actions):
-    from ._completions import ShtabAction
+non_parsing_actions = (_HelpAction, _VersionAction, NonParsingAction)
 
-    default = (_HelpAction, _ActionHelpClassPath, _ActionPrintConfig, ShtabAction)
+
+def filter_non_parsing_actions(actions):
     if isinstance(actions, list):
-        return [a for a in actions if not isinstance(a, default)]
-    return {k: a for k, a in actions.items() if not isinstance(a, default)}
+        return [a for a in actions if not isinstance(a, non_parsing_actions)]
+    return {k: a for k, a in actions.items() if not isinstance(a, non_parsing_actions)}
 
 
 class ActionConfigFile(Action):
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ def previous_config_context(cfg):
 print_config_skip: ContextVar = ContextVar("print_config_skip", default=False)
 
 
-class _ActionPrintConfig(Action):
+class _ActionPrintConfig(NonParsingAction):
     def __init__(
         self,
         option_strings,
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ def check_type(self, value, parser):
         return self._load_config(value, parser)
 
 
-class _ActionHelpClassPath(Action):
+class _ActionHelpClassPath(NonParsingAction):
     sub_add_kwargs: Dict[str, Any] = {}
 
     @classmethod
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ def add_prefix(key):
         required_args = {prefix + "." + x for x in subparser.required_args}
 
         option_string_actions = {}
-        for key, action in filter_default_actions(subparser._option_string_actions).items():
+        for key, action in filter_non_parsing_actions(subparser._option_string_actions).items():
             option_string_actions[add_prefix(key)] = action
 
         isect = set(option_string_actions).intersection(set(parser._option_string_actions))
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ def add_prefix(key):
 
         actions = []
         dest = prefix.replace("-", "_")
-        for action in filter_default_actions(subparser._actions):
+        for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(subparser._actions):
             if isinstance(action, ActionYesNo):
                 action._add_dest_prefix(prefix)
             else:
@@ -608,8 +608,8 @@ def add_prefix(key):
         if description is not None:
             base_action_group.description = description
         base_action_group.parser = parser
-        base_action_group._actions = filter_default_actions(base_action_group._actions)
-        base_action_group._group_actions = filter_default_actions(base_action_group._group_actions)
+        base_action_group._actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(base_action_group._actions)
+        base_action_group._group_actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(base_action_group._group_actions)
         extra_action_groups = subparser._action_groups[2:]
         for group in extra_action_groups:
             if group.dest is not None:

jsonargparse/_common.py

@@ -200,12 +200,12 @@ def validate_default(container: ActionsContainer, action: argparse.Action):
 
 
 def get_optionals_as_positionals_actions(parser, include_positionals=False):
-    from jsonargparse._actions import ActionConfigFile, _ActionConfigLoad, filter_default_actions
+    from jsonargparse._actions import ActionConfigFile, _ActionConfigLoad, filter_non_parsing_actions
     from jsonargparse._completions import ShtabAction
     from jsonargparse._typehints import ActionTypeHint
 
     actions = []
-    for action in filter_default_actions(parser._actions):
+    for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(parser._actions):
         if isinstance(action, (_ActionConfigLoad, ActionConfigFile, ShtabAction)):
             continue
         if ActionTypeHint.is_subclass_typehint(action, all_subtypes=False):
@@ -431,3 +431,7 @@ def _check_type_(self, value, **kwargs):
             self._check_type_kwargs = set(inspect.signature(self._check_type).parameters)
         kwargs = {k: v for k, v in kwargs.items() if k in self._check_type_kwargs}
         return self._check_type(value, **kwargs)
+
+
+class NonParsingAction(Action):
+    """Base for jsonargparse utility Action classes."""

jsonargparse/_completions.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from typing import List, Literal, Union
 
 from ._actions import ActionConfigFile, _ActionConfigLoad, _ActionHelpClassPath, remove_actions
-from ._common import get_optionals_as_positionals_actions, get_parsing_setting
+from ._common import NonParsingAction, get_optionals_as_positionals_actions, get_parsing_setting
 from ._parameter_resolvers import get_signature_parameters
 from ._typehints import (
     ActionTypeHint,
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def argcomplete_warn_redraw_prompt(prefix, message):
 shtab_preambles: ContextVar = ContextVar("shtab_preambles")
 
 
-class ShtabAction(argparse.Action):
+class ShtabAction(NonParsingAction):
     def __init__(
         self,
         option_strings,

jsonargparse/_core.py

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     _find_parent_action_and_subcommand,
     _is_action_value_list,
     _is_branch_key,
-    filter_default_actions,
+    filter_non_parsing_actions,
     parent_parsers,
     previous_config,
 )
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ def parse_object(
 
     def _load_env_vars(self, env: Union[Dict[str, str], os._Environ], defaults: bool) -> Namespace:
         cfg = Namespace()
-        actions = filter_default_actions(self._actions)
+        actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(self._actions)
         for action in actions:
             env_var = get_env_var(self, action)
             if env_var in env and isinstance(action, ActionConfigFile):
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ def dump(
 
     def _dump_cleanup_actions(self, cfg, actions, dump_kwargs, prefix=""):
         skip_none = dump_kwargs["skip_none"]
-        for action in filter_default_actions(actions):
+        for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(actions):
             action_dest = prefix + action.dest
             if (
                 (action.help == argparse.SUPPRESS and not isinstance(action, _ActionConfigLoad))
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ def get_defaults(self, skip_validation: bool = False, **kwargs) -> Namespace:
         """
         skip_validation = deprecated_skip_check(ArgumentParser.get_defaults, kwargs, skip_validation)
         cfg = Namespace()
-        for action in filter_default_actions(self._actions):
+        for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(self._actions):
             if (
                 action.default != argparse.SUPPRESS
                 and action.dest != argparse.SUPPRESS
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ def instantiate_classes(
             A configuration object with all subclasses and class groups instantiated.
         """
         components: List[Union[ActionTypeHint, _ActionConfigLoad, ArgumentGroup]] = []
-        for action in filter_default_actions(self._actions):
+        for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(self._actions):
             if isinstance(action, ActionTypeHint):
                 components.append(action)
 
@@ -1324,7 +1324,7 @@ def get_config_files(self, cfg: Namespace) -> List[str]:
         cfg_files = []
         if "__default_config__" in cfg:
             cfg_files.append(cfg["__default_config__"])
-        for action in filter_default_actions(self._actions):
+        for action in filter_non_parsing_actions(self._actions):
             if isinstance(action, ActionConfigFile) and action.dest in cfg and cfg[action.dest] is not None:
                 cfg_files.extend(p for p in cfg[action.dest] if p is not None)
         return cfg_files

jsonargparse/_formatters.py

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
     HelpFormatter,
     _HelpAction,
     _SubParsersAction,
-    _VersionAction,
 )
 from io import StringIO
 from string import Template
@@ -19,19 +18,17 @@
     ActionConfigFile,
     ActionYesNo,
     _ActionConfigLoad,
-    _ActionHelpClassPath,
-    _ActionPrintConfig,
     _ActionSubCommands,
     _find_action,
-    filter_default_actions,
+    filter_non_parsing_actions,
+    non_parsing_actions,
 )
 from ._common import (
     defaults_cache,
     get_optionals_as_positionals_actions,
     parent_parser,
     supports_optionals_as_positionals,
 )
-from ._completions import ShtabAction
 from ._deprecated import HelpFormatterDeprecations
 from ._link_arguments import ActionLink
 from ._namespace import Namespace, NSKeyError
@@ -87,7 +84,7 @@ def get_subparsers(parser, prefix=""):
             group_titles[parser_key] = parser.description
             prefix = "" if parser_key is None else parser_key + "."
             for group in parser._action_groups:
-                actions = filter_default_actions(group._group_actions)
+                actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(group._group_actions)
                 actions = [
                     a for a in actions if not isinstance(a, (_ActionConfigLoad, ActionConfigFile, _ActionSubCommands))
                 ]
@@ -255,7 +252,7 @@ def _format_action_invocation(self, action: Action) -> str:
         if isinstance(action, _SubParsersAction._ChoicesPseudoAction):
             return super()._format_action_invocation(action)
         extr = ""
-        if not isinstance(action, (_ActionHelpClassPath, _ActionPrintConfig, ShtabAction, _HelpAction, _VersionAction)):
+        if not isinstance(action, non_parsing_actions):
             extr += "\n  ENV:   " + get_env_var(self, action)
         return "ARG:   " + super()._format_action_invocation(action) + extr
 

jsonargparse/_link_arguments.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     _ActionSubCommands,
     _find_parent_action,
     _find_parent_action_and_subcommand,
-    filter_default_actions,
+    filter_non_parsing_actions,
 )
 from ._namespace import Namespace, split_key, split_key_leaf
 from ._parameter_resolvers import get_signature_parameters
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def find_parent_or_child_actions(
     if action is not None:
         found = [action]
     else:
-        actions = filter_default_actions(parser._actions)
+        actions = filter_non_parsing_actions(parser._actions)
         if exclude is not None:
             actions = [a for a in actions if not isinstance(a, exclude)]
         prefix = key + "."