How to, provide URL parameters using github-flask for {+path}?

Question

First, I am a total n00b to Python. I am using github-flask, and flask obviously, to pull data from the GitHub API. I am trying to use the contents_url and retrieve a file. The URL from the GitHub API is something like:

// json
{
    ...
    "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/<org_name>/<repo_name>/contents/{+path}"
    ...
}

... and when I try and give that to the github-flask instance I get a TypeError, "TypeError: request() got an unexpected keyword argument 'path'" using:

# python
contents = github.get(repo['contents_url'], path='.gitignore')

I'm pretty sure I am missing something simple. I don't have to resort to string manipulation do I?

Answer 1

Python's recommended string interpolation is the .format method. Your code will work with that with just a few minor changes:

contents = github.get(repo['contents_url'].format(path='.gitignore'))

But you'll also have to change your contents_url slightly:

https://api.github.com/repos/<org_name>/<repo_name>/contents/{path}

Just be careful - .format interpolates based on curly braces, so any literal curly braces need to be escaped. More information is available here: https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#formatstrings

---

Edit: As you mentioned in the comment below, the URL is coming directly from GitHub's API and you can't/shouldn't change it. It turns out they're using RFC 6570 URL templates (see https://developer.github.com/v3/#hypermedia). If you use the uritemplate library I suggested below, the code will look like this:

from uritemplate import expand

# ...

contents = github.get(expand(repo['contents_url'], {'path': '.gitignore'}))