Invoke Python as Executable

I have a Python script, a simple Hello, World. I need to invoke it as I would an executable and take piped input:

./myprogram < myinput

How do I generate the command python3 myprogram.py and handle the piped input?

Answer

If you’re on a *Nix system, you’ll need to follow 3 steps:

1. Make sure your script has executable permissions

   chmod +x myprogram.py
   

2. Add the shebang line to the top of your script

   #!/usr/bin/env python3
   

   As pointed out in the comments, /usr/bin/env python3 makes it easier to work with venvs and other local installations of python.

3. Invoke the script with

   ./myprogram.py < myinput
   

To handle the input, you will need to import sys in your script, and then read from sys.stdin.