1 files changed, 34 insertions, 5 deletions
diff --git a/bsfs/utils/commons.py b/bsfs/utils/commons.py
index bad2fe0..a7092ae 100644
--- a/bsfs/utils/commons.py
+++ b/bsfs/utils/commons.py
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
-"""
 
-Part of the BlackStar filesystem (bsfs) module.
-A copy of the license is provided with the project.
-Author: Matthias Baumgartner, 2022
-"""
 # imports
+from collections import abc
 import typing
 
 # exports
 __all__: typing.Sequence[str] = (
+    'normalize_args',
     'typename',
     )
 
@@ -19,5 +16,37 @@ def typename(obj) -> str:
     """Return the type name of *obj*."""
     return type(obj).__name__
 
+# argument type in `normalize_args`.
+ArgType = typing.TypeVar('ArgType') # pylint: disable=invalid-name # type vars don't follow the usual convention
+
+def normalize_args(
+        *args: typing.Union[ArgType, typing.Iterable[ArgType], typing.Iterator[ArgType]]
+        ) -> typing.Tuple[ArgType, ...]:
+    """Arguments to a function can be passed as individual arguments, list-like
+    structures, or iterables. This function processes any of these styles and
+    returns a tuple of the respective items. Typically used within a function
+    provide a flexible interface but sill have parameters in a normalized form.
+
+    Examples:
+
+    >>> normalize_args(0,1,2)
+    (1,2,3)
+    >>> normalize_args([0,1,2])
+    (1,2,3)
+    >>> normalize_args(range(3))
+    (1,2,3)
+
+    """
+    if len(args) == 0: # foo()
+        return tuple()
+    if len(args) > 1: # foo(0, 1, 2)
+        return tuple(args) # type: ignore [arg-type] # we assume that argument styles (arg vs. iterable) are not mixed.
+    if isinstance(args[0], abc.Iterator): # foo(iter([0,1,2]))
+        return tuple(args[0])
+    if isinstance(args[0], abc.Iterable) and not isinstance(args[0], str): # foo([0, 1, 2])
+        return tuple(args[0])
+    # foo(0)
+    return (args[0], ) # type: ignore [return-value] # if args[0] is a str, we assume that ArgType was str.
+
 
 ## EOF ##