gh-142389: Add support for backtick colorisation in argparse help text (#149375)

Co-authored-by: Savannah Ostrowski <savannah@python.org>

Author: hugovk

Doc/library/argparse.rst

@@ -637,25 +637,22 @@ are set.
 
 .. versionadded:: 3.14
 
-To highlight inline code in your description or epilog text, you can use
-backticks::
+To highlight inline code in your description, epilog, or argument ``help``
+text, you can use single or double backticks::
 
    >>> parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
    ...     formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
+   ...     description='Run ``python -m myapp`` to start.',
    ...     epilog='''Examples:
    ...   `python -m myapp --verbose`
-   ...   `python -m myapp --config settings.json`
+   ...   ``python -m myapp --config settings.json``
    ... ''')
+   >>> parser.add_argument('--foo', help='set the `foo` value')
 
 When colors are enabled, the text inside backticks will be displayed in a
 distinct color to help examples stand out. When colors are disabled, backticks
 are preserved as-is, which is readable in plain text.
 
-.. note::
-
-   Backtick markup only applies to description and epilog text. It does not
-   apply to individual argument ``help`` strings.
-
 .. versionadded:: 3.15
 
 

Doc/whatsnew/3.15.rst

@@ -756,10 +756,14 @@ argparse
   default to ``True``. This enables suggestions for mistyped arguments by default.
   (Contributed by Jakob Schluse in :gh:`140450`.)
 
-* Added backtick markup support in description and epilog text to highlight
-  inline code when color output is enabled.
+* Added backtick markup support in :class:`~argparse.ArgumentParser` description
+  and epilog text to highlight inline code when color output is enabled.
   (Contributed by Savannah Ostrowski in :gh:`142390`.)
 
+* Extended backtick markup to argument ``help`` text and added support for
+  double backticks (RST inline-literal style).
+  (Contributed by Hugo van Kemenade in :gh:`149375`.)
+
 
 array
 -----

Lib/argparse.py

@@ -529,16 +529,16 @@ def _apply_text_markup(self, text):
         """Apply color markup to text.
 
         Supported markup:
-          `...` - inline code (rendered with prog_extra color)
+          `...` or ``...`` - inline code (rendered with prog_extra color)
 
         When colors are disabled, backticks are preserved as-is.
         """
         t = self._theme
         if not t.reset:
             return text
         text = _re.sub(
-            r'`([^`]+)`',
-            rf'{t.prog_extra}\1{t.reset}',
+            r'(`{1,2})([^`]+)\1',
+            rf'{t.prog_extra}\2{t.reset}',
             text,
         )
         return text
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ def _format_args(self, action, default_metavar):
     def _expand_help(self, action):
         help_string = self._get_help_string(action)
         if '%' not in help_string:
-            return help_string
+            return self._apply_text_markup(help_string)
         params = dict(vars(action), prog=self._prog)
         for name in list(params):
             value = params[name]
@@ -726,7 +726,9 @@ def colorize(match):
             # bare %s etc. - format with full params dict, no colorization
             return spec % params
 
-        return _re.sub(fmt_spec, colorize, help_string, flags=_re.VERBOSE)
+        return self._apply_text_markup(
+            _re.sub(fmt_spec, colorize, help_string, flags=_re.VERBOSE)
+        )
 
     def _iter_indented_subactions(self, action):
         try:

Lib/test/test_argparse.py

@@ -7620,21 +7620,25 @@ def test_backtick_markup_in_description(self):
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
             prog='PROG',
             color=True,
-            description='Run `python -m myapp` to start.',
+            description='Run `python myapp` or ``python -m myapp`` to start.',
         )
 
         prog_extra = self.theme.prog_extra
         reset = self.theme.reset
 
         help_text = parser.format_help()
-        self.assertIn(f'Run {prog_extra}python -m myapp{reset} to start.',
-                      help_text)
+        self.assertIn(
+            f'Run {prog_extra}python myapp{reset} or '
+            f'{prog_extra}python -m myapp{reset} to start.',
+            help_text,
+        )
+        self.assertNotIn("`", help_text)
 
     def test_backtick_markup_multiple(self):
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
             prog='PROG',
             color=True,
-            epilog='Try `app run` or `app test`.',
+            epilog='Try `app run` or ``app test``.',
         )
 
         prog_extra = self.theme.prog_extra
@@ -7643,17 +7647,19 @@ def test_backtick_markup_multiple(self):
         help_text = parser.format_help()
         self.assertIn(f'{prog_extra}app run{reset}', help_text)
         self.assertIn(f'{prog_extra}app test{reset}', help_text)
+        self.assertNotIn('`', help_text)
 
     def test_backtick_markup_not_applied_when_color_disabled(self):
         # When color is disabled, backticks are preserved as-is
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
             prog='PROG',
             color=False,
-            epilog='Example: `python -m myapp`',
+            epilog='Examples: `python -m myapp` or ``python -m myapp --x``',
         )
 
         help_text = parser.format_help()
         self.assertIn('`python -m myapp`', help_text)
+        self.assertIn('``python -m myapp --x``', help_text)
         self.assertNotIn('\x1b[', help_text)
 
     def test_backtick_markup_with_format_string(self):
@@ -7696,6 +7702,39 @@ def test_backtick_markup_special_regex_chars(self):
         help_text = parser.format_help()
         self.assertIn(f'{prog_extra}grep "foo.*bar" | sort{reset}', help_text)
 
+    def test_backtick_markup_in_argument_help(self):
+        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="PROG", color=True)
+        parser.add_argument("--foo", help="set the `foo` value")
+        parser.add_argument("--bar", help="set the ``bar`` value")
+
+        prog_extra = self.theme.prog_extra
+        reset = self.theme.reset
+
+        help_text = parser.format_help()
+        self.assertIn(f"set the {prog_extra}foo{reset} value", help_text)
+        self.assertIn(f"set the {prog_extra}bar{reset} value", help_text)
+        self.assertNotIn("`", help_text)
+
+    def test_backtick_markup_in_argument_help_with_format(self):
+        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="PROG", color=True)
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--foo", default="bar", help="set `foo` (default: %(default)s)"
+        )
+
+        prog_extra = self.theme.prog_extra
+        reset = self.theme.reset
+
+        help_text = parser.format_help()
+        self.assertIn(f"set {prog_extra}foo{reset}", help_text)
+
+    def test_backtick_markup_in_argument_help_color_disabled(self):
+        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="PROG", color=False)
+        parser.add_argument("--foo", help="set the `foo` value")
+
+        help_text = parser.format_help()
+        self.assertIn("set the `foo` value", help_text)
+        self.assertNotIn("\x1b[", help_text)
+
     def test_help_with_format_specifiers(self):
         # GH-142950: format specifiers like %x should work with color=True
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='PROG', color=True)

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-05-04-18-01-35.gh-issue-142389.4Faqpq.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Add backtick markup support in :mod:`argparse` option help text to highlight
+inline code when color output is enabled. Patch by Hugo van Kemenade.