diff --git a/src/scripts/python/test_argparse.py b/src/scripts/python/test_argparse.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3dc69e2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/python/test_argparse.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env python
+#
+#    test how to parse sections of a CLI using argparse
+# For example:
+#    ./test_docopt.py -i file1 -x 2 -y 1 -i file2 -x 10 -i file3 
+
+"""Usage: rsr_fit.py [options]
+
+Options:
+   -i --input TABLE       Input table, followed by more options. No default.
+   -x --xcol XCOL         X Column(s). [Default: 1]
+   -y --ycol YCOL         Y Column(s). [Default: 2]
+   -h --help              This help
+   -d --debug             More debug output
+   -v --version           Show version
+
+Parsing ideas for plotting tables
+"""
+
+import sys, argparse
+
+print('argv:', sys.argv)
+
+# find the -i sections in sys.argv
+argv = sys.argv[1:]
+inputs = [i for i, x in enumerate(argv) if x == '-i' or x == '--input']
+print('inputs:',inputs)
+
+# loop over the input files
+nf = len(inputs)
+if nf == 1:
+    inputs2 = [len(argv)]
+else:
+    inputs2 = inputs[1:] + [len(argv)]
+
+print('inputs2:',inputs2)
+
+# Defining parser
+# add_argument attaches individual assignment specifications to the parser
+
+# Add help
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument('-i', '--input', required=True) # -i/--input argument
+parser.add_argument('-x', '--xcol', default=1, type=int)
+parser.add_argument('-y', '--ycol', default=2, type=int)
+
+# Store parsed results
+avs = []
+for i in range(len(inputs)):
+    section_args = argv[inputs[i]:inputs2[i]]
+    print(f"\nGroup {i}: {section_args}")
+    av = parser.parse_args(section_args)
+    print(f"Parsed av[{i}]:", av)
+    avs.append(av)
+
+
+#print(avs)
+
diff --git a/src/scripts/python/test_docopt.py b/src/scripts/python/test_docopt.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e363c8dca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/python/test_docopt.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env python
+#
+#    test how to parse sections of a CLI
+#    Using docopt, but should be no different from e.g. argparse
+# For example:
+#    ./test_docopt.py -i file1 -x 2 -y 1 -i file2 -x 10 -i file3 
+
+"""Usage: rsr_fit.py [options]
+
+Options:
+   -i --input TABLE       Input table, followed by more options. No default.
+   -x --xcol XCOL         X Column(s). [Default: 1]
+   -y --ycol YCOL         Y Column(s). [Default: 2]
+   -h --help              This help
+   -d --debug             More debug output
+   -v --version           Show version
+
+Parsing ideas for plotting tables
+"""
+
+_version = "24-apr-2025"
+
+import os
+import sys
+import numpy as np
+from docopt import docopt
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+#  only once to process help and version?
+#av = docopt(__doc__,options_first=True, version='test_docopt %s' % _version)
+
+
+# show input
+print('argv:',sys.argv)
+
+# find the -i sections in sys.argv
+
+argv = sys.argv[1:]
+inputs = [i for i, x in enumerate(argv) if x == '-i' or x == '--input']
+print('inputs:',inputs)
+
+
+# loop over the input files
+nf = len(inputs)
+if nf == 1:
+    inputs2 = [len(argv)]
+else:
+    inputs2 = inputs[1:] + [len(argv)]
+
+print('inputs2:',inputs2)
+        
+for i in range(len(inputs)):
+    print(i,argv[inputs[i]:inputs2[i]])
+    sys.argv[1:] = argv[inputs[i]:inputs2[i]]
+    print(sys.argv)
+    av = docopt(__doc__,options_first=True, version='test_docopt %s' % _version)
+    print(av)
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