How to create a Python decorator that can be used either with or without parameters?

Question

I\'d like to create a Python decorator that can be used either with parameters:

@redirect_output(\"somewhere.log\")
def foo():
    ....

or

Answer 1

In fact, the caveat case in @bj0's solution can be checked easily:

def meta_wrap(decor):
    @functools.wraps(decor)
    def new_decor(*args, **kwargs):
        if len(args) == 1 and len(kwargs) == 0 and callable(args[0]):
            # this is the double-decorated f. 
            # Its first argument should not be a callable
            doubled_f = decor(args[0])
            @functools.wraps(doubled_f)
            def checked_doubled_f(*f_args, **f_kwargs):
                if callable(f_args[0]):
                    raise ValueError('meta_wrap failure: '
                                'first positional argument cannot be callable.')
                return doubled_f(*f_args, **f_kwargs)
            return checked_doubled_f 
        else:
            # decorator arguments
            return lambda real_f: decor(real_f, *args, **kwargs)

    return new_decor

Here are a few test cases for this fail-safe version of meta_wrap.

    @meta_wrap
    def baddecor(f, caller=lambda x: -1*x):
        @functools.wraps(f)
        def _f(*args, **kwargs):
            return caller(f(args[0]))
        return _f

    @baddecor  # used without arg: no problem
    def f_call1(x):
        return x + 1
    assert f_call1(5) == -6

    @baddecor(lambda x : 2*x) # bad case
    def f_call2(x):
        return x + 1
    f_call2(5)  # raises ValueError

    # explicit keyword: no problem
    @baddecor(caller=lambda x : 100*x)
    def f_call3(x):
        return x + 1
    assert f_call3(5) == 600