dockerfile - How to pass args to docker run for python?

Question

I edit my Dockerfile from the feedback I received. I run my python script with args python3 getappVotes.py --abc 116 --xyz 2 --processall This is my Dockerfile. I can build successfully but not sure how I can pass above args during docker run. Arguments are optional.

FROM python:3.7.5-slim
WORKDIR /usr/src/app
RUN python -m pip install 
        parse 
        argparse 
        datetime 
        urllib3  
        python-dateutil 
        couchdb  
        realpython-reader
RUN mkdir -p /var/log/appvoteslog/
COPY getappVotes.py .
ENTRYPOINT ["python", "./getappVotes.py"]
CMD ["--xx 116", "--yy 2", "--processall"]

Answer 1

As mentioned in the comments, for your use case, you need to use both ENTRYPOINT (for the program and mandatory arguments) and CMD (for optional arguments).

More precisely, you should edit your Dockerfile in the following way:

FROM python:3.7.5-slim
WORKDIR /usr/src/app
RUN python -m pip install 
        parse 
        argparse 
        datetime 
        urllib3  
        python-dateutil 
        couchdb  
        realpython-reader
RUN mkdir -p /var/log/appvoteslog/
COPY getappVotes.py .
ENTRYPOINT ["python", "./getappVotes.py"]
CMD ["--xx", "116", "--yy", "2", "--processall"]

(as from a shell perspective, --xx 116 is recognized as two separated arguments, not a single argument)

For more details:

• see the answer What is the difference between CMD and ENTRYPOINT in a Dockerfile?;
• see also the example from this answer: Install python package in docker file ? where the "manual" command python -m pip install … is replaced with a more idiomatic command, pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt