diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8e1ec84..07b6b7c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ Now we want to select the tokens that have a specific number of cores, and start
 To start scanning the different design documents, for example, to execute the work with different numbers of cores, run:
 
 ```
-python core-scanner.py
+python core_scanner.py
 ```
 
 which will default to view `SingleCore` that was created above and filters on a core count of 1. This is equivalent to running explicitly:
diff --git a/examples/core_scanner.py b/examples/core_scanner.py
index 77627f2..82ac877 100644
--- a/examples/core_scanner.py
+++ b/examples/core_scanner.py
@@ -2,23 +2,37 @@
 
 import logging
 import sys
+import argparse
 
 import picasconfig
 from picas.picaslogger import picaslogger
 from picas.clients import CouchDB
 from picas.executers import execute
-from picas.util import arg_parser
+
 
 picaslogger.propagate = False
 
-# expand the parser for the example
-parser = arg_parser()
-parser.add_argument("--cores", default=1, type=str, help="Number of cores for the job")
-parser.set_defaults(design_doc="SingleCore")
-args = parser.parse_args()
 
+def arg_parser():
+    """
+    Arguments parser for optional values of the example
+    returns: argparse object
+    """
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Arguments used in the different classes in the example.")
+    parser.add_argument("--design_doc", default="Monitor", type=str, help="Select the designdoc used by the actor class")
+    parser.add_argument("--view", default="todo", type=str, help="Select the view used by the actor class")
+    parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Set verbose")
+    parser.add_argument("--cores", default=1, type=str, help="Number of cores for the job")
+    parser.set_defaults(design_doc="SingleCore")
+
+    return parser
+
+# parse user arguments
+args = arg_parser().parse_args()
+# setup connection to db
 client = CouchDB(url=picasconfig.PICAS_HOST_URL, db=picasconfig.PICAS_DATABASE, username=picasconfig.PICAS_USERNAME, password=picasconfig.PICAS_PASSWORD)
 
+# check if there is work available, i.e. if there are tokens in the specified view
 work_avail = client.is_view_nonempty(args.view, design_doc=args.design_doc)
 if work_avail:
     picaslogger.info(f"Starting a picas clients checking view {args.view} in design document {args.design_doc}")
diff --git a/examples/example-template.py b/examples/example_template.py
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/example-template.py
rename to examples/example_template.py
diff --git a/examples/local_example.py b/examples/local_example.py
index 415c7ed..94fc48e 100755
--- a/examples/local_example.py
+++ b/examples/local_example.py
@@ -24,10 +24,24 @@
 from picas.iterators import TaskViewIterator
 from picas.iterators import EndlessViewIterator
 from picas.modifiers import BasicTokenModifier
-from picas.util import Timer, arg_parser
+from picas.util import Timer
+
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+
+def arg_parser():
+    """
+    Arguments parser for optional values of the example
+    returns: argparse object
+    """
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Arguments used in the different classes in the example.")
+    parser.add_argument("--design_doc", default="Monitor", type=str, help="Select the designdoc used by the actor class")
+    parser.add_argument("--view", default="todo", type=str, help="Select the view used by the actor class")
+    parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Set verbose")
+    return parser
+
+
 class ExampleActor(RunActor):
     """
     The ExampleActor is the custom implementation of a RunActor that the user needs for the processing.
diff --git a/picas/clients.py b/picas/clients.py
index c8d6345..9ca2404 100644
--- a/picas/clients.py
+++ b/picas/clients.py
@@ -236,17 +236,17 @@ def is_view_nonempty(self, view, **view_params):
         """
         # To ensure proper logging when design_doc is not passed into is_view_nonempty,
         # the variable is created as the default used in self.view. Otherwise the f-string below breaks on default input.
-        design_doc = view_params.setdefault('design_doc', "Monitor") 
+        design_doc = view_params.setdefault('design_doc', "Monitor")
         try:
             doc = self.get_single_from_view(view, **view_params)
             task = Task(doc)
             picaslogger.debug(doc)
-            picaslogger.debug(task['input'])
+            picaslogger.debug(task['_id'])
             picaslogger.info(f"View {view} under design document {design_doc} is non-empty.")
             return True
         except IndexError as e:
             picaslogger.info(f"View {view} under design document {design_doc} is empty: {e}")
             return False
-        except ResourceNotFound as e:
+        except ResourceNotFound:
             picaslogger.info(f"Non-existing view and design document passed: {view} in {design_doc}")
             return False
diff --git a/picas/util.py b/picas/util.py
index a71b186..0be0166 100644
--- a/picas/util.py
+++ b/picas/util.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 @author Joris Borgdorff
 """
 
-import argparse
 import time
 from copy import deepcopy
 
@@ -30,18 +29,6 @@ def seconds():
     return int(time.time())
 
 
-def arg_parser():
-    """
-    Arguments parser for optional values of the example
-    returns: argparse object
-    """
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Arguments used in the different classes in the example.")
-    parser.add_argument("--design_doc", default="Monitor", type=str, help="Select the designdoc used by the actor class")
-    parser.add_argument("--view", default="todo", type=str, help="Select the view used by the actor class")
-    parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Set verbose")
-    return parser
-
-
 class Timer:
     """Timer class"""
 
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 7c10f5f..0c3ad68 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@ files = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pytest"
-version = "8.3.3"
+version = "8.3.4"
 description = "pytest: simple powerful testing with Python"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.8"
 files = [
-    {file = "pytest-8.3.3-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a6853c7375b2663155079443d2e45de913a911a11d669df02a50814944db57b2"},
-    {file = "pytest-8.3.3.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:70b98107bd648308a7952b06e6ca9a50bc660be218d53c257cc1fc94fda10181"},
+    {file = "pytest-8.3.4-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:50e16d954148559c9a74109af1eaf0c945ba2d8f30f0a3d3335edde19788b6f6"},
+    {file = "pytest-8.3.4.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:965370d062bce11e73868e0335abac31b4d3de0e82f4007408d242b4f8610761"},
 ]
 
 [package.dependencies]
@@ -144,6 +144,22 @@ tomli = {version = ">=1", markers = "python_version < \"3.11\""}
 [package.extras]
 dev = ["argcomplete", "attrs (>=19.2)", "hypothesis (>=3.56)", "mock", "pygments (>=2.7.2)", "requests", "setuptools", "xmlschema"]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "setuptools"
+version = "66.1.1"
+description = "Easily download, build, install, upgrade, and uninstall Python packages"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.7"
+files = [
+    {file = "setuptools-66.1.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:6f590d76b713d5de4e49fe4fbca24474469f53c83632d5d0fd056f7ff7e8112b"},
+    {file = "setuptools-66.1.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:ac4008d396bc9cd983ea483cb7139c0240a07bbc74ffb6232fceffedc6cf03a8"},
+]
+
+[package.extras]
+docs = ["furo", "jaraco.packaging (>=9)", "jaraco.tidelift (>=1.4)", "pygments-github-lexers (==0.0.5)", "rst.linker (>=1.9)", "sphinx (>=3.5)", "sphinx-favicon", "sphinx-hoverxref (<2)", "sphinx-inline-tabs", "sphinx-lint", "sphinx-notfound-page (==0.8.3)", "sphinx-reredirects", "sphinxcontrib-towncrier"]
+testing = ["build[virtualenv]", "filelock (>=3.4.0)", "flake8 (<5)", "flake8-2020", "ini2toml[lite] (>=0.9)", "jaraco.envs (>=2.2)", "jaraco.path (>=3.2.0)", "pip (>=19.1)", "pip-run (>=8.8)", "pytest (>=6)", "pytest-black (>=0.3.7)", "pytest-checkdocs (>=2.4)", "pytest-cov", "pytest-enabler (>=1.3)", "pytest-flake8", "pytest-mypy (>=0.9.1)", "pytest-perf", "pytest-timeout", "pytest-xdist", "tomli-w (>=1.0.0)", "virtualenv (>=13.0.0)", "wheel"]
+testing-integration = ["build[virtualenv]", "filelock (>=3.4.0)", "jaraco.envs (>=2.2)", "jaraco.path (>=3.2.0)", "pytest", "pytest-enabler", "pytest-xdist", "tomli", "virtualenv (>=13.0.0)", "wheel"]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "stopit"
 version = "1.1.2"
@@ -156,16 +172,46 @@ files = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tomli"
-version = "2.1.0"
+version = "2.2.1"
 description = "A lil' TOML parser"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.8"
 files = [
-    {file = "tomli-2.1.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a5c57c3d1c56f5ccdf89f6523458f60ef716e210fc47c4cfb188c5ba473e0391"},
-    {file = "tomli-2.1.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:3f646cae2aec94e17d04973e4249548320197cfabdf130015d023de4b74d8ab8"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:678e4fa69e4575eb77d103de3df8a895e1591b48e740211bd1067378c69e8249"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl", hash = "sha256:023aa114dd824ade0100497eb2318602af309e5a55595f76b626d6d9f3b7b0a6"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:ece47d672db52ac607a3d9599a9d48dcb2f2f735c6c2d1f34130085bb12b112a"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:6972ca9c9cc9f0acaa56a8ca1ff51e7af152a9f87fb64623e31d5c83700080ee"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl", hash = "sha256:c954d2250168d28797dd4e3ac5cf812a406cd5a92674ee4c8f123c889786aa8e"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:8dd28b3e155b80f4d54beb40a441d366adcfe740969820caf156c019fb5c7ec4"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl", hash = "sha256:e59e304978767a54663af13c07b3d1af22ddee3bb2fb0618ca1593e4f593a106"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:33580bccab0338d00994d7f16f4c4ec25b776af3ffaac1ed74e0b3fc95e885a8"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-win32.whl", hash = "sha256:465af0e0875402f1d226519c9904f37254b3045fc5084697cefb9bdde1ff99ff"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:2d0f2fdd22b02c6d81637a3c95f8cd77f995846af7414c5c4b8d0545afa1bc4b"},
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+    {file = "tomli-2.2.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:cd45e1dc79c835ce60f7404ec8119f2eb06d38b1deba146f07ced3bbc44505ff"},
 ]
 
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "2.0"
 python-versions = "^3.10"
-content-hash = "9b0ecac70f16d2ff915749f66773e97bd8e41a755e4305c71ce98e902b03f414"
+content-hash = "f8c46daf7c4bc901ed80f1b8fd47253f80a9a3fb5062fb2d7ebcacbc9943f5a9"