Further refinement

IPython/nbconvert/tests/base.py

@@ -136,8 +136,20 b' class TestsBase(ParametricTestCase):'
         return path
 
 
-    def call(self, parameters, raise_on_error=True):
+    def call(self, parameters, ignore_return_code=False):
+        """
+        Execute a, IPython shell command, listening for both Errors and non-zero
+        return codes.
+
+        PARAMETERS:
+        -----------
+        parameters : str
+            List of parameters to pass to IPython.
+        ignore_return_code : optional bool (default False)
+            Throw an OSError if the return code 
+        """
+
         stdout, stderr, retcode = get_output_error_code(ipy_cmd + parameters)
-        if retcode != 0 and raise_on_error:
+        if retcode != 0 and not ignore_return_code:
             raise OSError(stderr)
         return stdout, stderr

IPython/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvertapp.py

@@ -39,7 +39,7 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Will help show if no notebooks are specified?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd():
-            out, err = self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0', raise_on_error=False)
+            out, err = self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0', ignore_return_code=True)
             assert "see '--help-all'" in out
 
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Do search patterns work for notebook names?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb']):
-            self.call("""nbconvert --to="python" --notebooks="['*.ipynb']" --log-level=0""")
+            self.call('nbconvert --to python *.ipynb --log-level 0')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -59,8 +59,8 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd():
             self.copy_files_to(['notebook*.ipynb'], 'subdir/')
-            self.call('nbconvert --to="python" --log-level=0 --notebooks='
-                      """"['%s']"' % os.path.join('subdir', '*.ipynb"""))
+            self.call('nbconvert --to python --log-level 0 ' + 
+                      os.path.join('subdir', '*.ipynb'))
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -70,8 +70,7 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Do explicit notebook names work?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to="python" --notebooks='
-                      """"['notebook2.ipynb']\"""")
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to python notebook2')
             assert not os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -84,8 +83,9 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook2.ipynb']):
             os.rename('notebook2.ipynb', 'notebook with spaces.ipynb')
-            o,e = self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to="latex" "notebook with spaces"'
-                            ' --post="PDF" --PDFPostProcessor.verbose=True')
+            o,e = self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to latex '
+                            '"notebook with spaces" --post PDF '
+                            '--PDFPostProcessor.verbose=True')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook with spaces.tex')
             assert os.path.isdir('notebook with spaces_files')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook with spaces.pdf')
@@ -97,8 +97,8 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Do post processors work?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook1.ipynb']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to="latex" notebook1'
-                      ' --post="PDF" --PDFPostProcessor.verbose=True')
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to latex notebook1 '
+                      '--post PDF --PDFPostProcessor.verbose=True')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.tex')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.pdf')
 
@@ -109,8 +109,8 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Do export templates work?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook2.ipynb']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to=slides --notebooks='
-                      """"['notebook2.ipynb']" --template=reveal""")
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to slides '  
+                      'notebook2.ipynb --template reveal')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.slides.html')
             with open('notebook2.slides.html') as f:
                 assert '/reveal.css' in f.read()
@@ -121,8 +121,8 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Can a search pattern be used along with matching explicit notebook names?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to="python" --notebooks='
-                      """"['*.ipynb','notebook1.ipynb','notebook2.ipynb']\"""")
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to python '
+                      '*.ipynb notebook1.ipynb notebook2.ipynb')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -132,8 +132,8 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Can explicit notebook names be used and then a matching search pattern?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --to="python" --notebooks='
-                      """"['notebook1.ipynb','notebook2.ipynb','*.ipynb']\"""")
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --to=python '
+                      'notebook1.ipynb notebook2.ipynb *.ipynb')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         Does the default config work?
         """
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb', 'ipython_nbconvert_config.py']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0')
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert not os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')
 
@@ -155,6 +155,6 b' class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):'
         with self.create_temp_cwd(['notebook*.ipynb',
                                    'ipython_nbconvert_config.py',
                                    'override.py']):
-            self.call('nbconvert --log-level=0 --config="override.py"')
+            self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0 --config="override.py"')
             assert not os.path.isfile('notebook1.py')
             assert os.path.isfile('notebook2.py')