Sub-Typer Callback Override

When creating a Typer app you can define a callback function, it always executes and defines the CLI arguments and CLI options that go before a command.

When adding a Typer app inside of another, the sub-Typer can also have its own callback.

It can handle any CLI parameters that go before its own commands and execute any extra code:

import typer

app = typer.Typer()

users_app = typer.Typer()
app.add_typer(users_app, name="users")


@users_app.callback()
def users_callback():
    print("Running a users command")


@users_app.command()
def create(name: str):
    print(f"Creating user: {name}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app()

In this case it doesn't define any CLI parameters, it just writes a message.

Check it:

$ python main.py users create Camila

// Notice the first message is not created by the command function but by the callback
Running a users command
Creating user: Camila

Add a callback on creation

It's also possible to add a callback when creating the typer.Typer() app that will be added to another Typer app:

import typer

app = typer.Typer()


def users_callback():
    print("Running a users command")


users_app = typer.Typer(callback=users_callback)
app.add_typer(users_app, name="users")


@users_app.command()
def create(name: str):
    print(f"Creating user: {name}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app()

This achieves exactly the same as above, it's just another place to add the callback.

Check it:

$ python main.py users create Camila

Running a users command
Creating user: Camila

Overriding the callback on creation

If a callback was added when creating the typer.Typer() app, it's possible to override it with a new one using @app.callback().

This is the same information you saw on the section about Commands - Typer Callback, and it applies the same for sub-Typer apps:

import typer

app = typer.Typer()


def default_callback():
    print("Running a users command")


users_app = typer.Typer(callback=default_callback)
app.add_typer(users_app, name="users")


@users_app.callback()
def user_callback():
    print("Callback override, running users command")


@users_app.command()
def create(name: str):
    print(f"Creating user: {name}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app()

Here we had defined a callback when creating the typer.Typer() sub-app, but then we override it with a new callback with the function user_callback().

As @app.callback() takes precedence over typer.Typer(callback=some_function), now our CLI app will use this new callback.

Check it:

$ python main.py users create Camila

// Notice the message from the new callback
Callback override, running users command
Creating user: Camila

Overriding the callback when adding a sub-Typer

Lastly, you can override the callback defined anywhere else when adding a sub-Typer with app.add_typer() using the callback parameter.

This has the highest priority:

import typer

app = typer.Typer()


def default_callback():
    print("Running a users command")


users_app = typer.Typer(callback=default_callback)


def callback_for_add_typer():
    print("I have the high land! Running users command")


app.add_typer(users_app, name="users", callback=callback_for_add_typer)


@users_app.callback()
def user_callback():
    print("Callback override, running users command")


@users_app.command()
def create(name: str):
    print(f"Creating user: {name}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app()

Notice that the precedence goes to app.add_typer() and is not affected by the order of execution. There's another callback defined below, but the one from app.add_typer() wins.

Now when you use the CLI program it will use the new callback function callback_for_add_typer().

Check it:

$ python users create Camila

// Notice the message from the callback added in add_typer()
I have the high land! Running users command
Creating user: Camila