On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Pearu Peterson wrote: [...]

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How can I access this type of information from within python? (Before scipy.xplt.ghelp("color") did the job).

I am not familiar with the background of loosing scipy.xplt.ghelp but the following works:

import scipy.xplt.helpmod scipy.xplt.helpmod.help('color')

Thanks, Pearu! I also just checked that putting a from helpmod import help as ghelp into gist.py restores the original behaviour, i.e. scipy.xplt.ghelp("color") works as before. So this is an easy temporary fix, but I think now that all the doc-strings are there for the commands we could with little effort also get the keywords into one of the doc-strings (see my next message) Best, Arnd

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Travis E. Oliphant wrote:

Arnd Baecker wrote: [...]

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If I understand things correctly, scipy.xplt.ghelp is gone because the information from xplt/gistdata/help.help has been moved to the doc strings of the commands. If this is correct,

Yes, that was the idea.

I am very much in favour of this!

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how do I get information on the keywords for a plot command ?

It looks like we have a problem, as the docstrings aren't complete yet.

As far as I can see it is really only the keywords. Thinking further about it, there might be a simple solution to this a) add the information for the different keywords to the docstring of scipy.xplt itself. One could then add the text "see help("scipy.xplt") for information on the keywords" in the doc-strings for the corresponding plot routines. b) add the information for the different keywords to the docstring of scipy.xplt.plg. One could then add the text "see help("scipy.xplt.plg") for information on the keywords" in the doc-strings for the corresponding other plot routines. c) Invent a dummy routine scipy.xplt.keywords which contains the information on the keywords. Personally I don't like c) very much, so maybe b) is the best solution as the doc-string will be pretty long (i.e. a reason not to put it into scipy.xplt). If you think that this is a reasonable (also long-term) solution then I can prepare a corresponding doc-string. One more general question on the doc-strings of xplt: Some of the doc-strings (e.g. get_style(...) and many more) are so long that for 80 characters display width the corresponding lines get wrapped. To be precise: the doc-strings themselves are (mostly) <80 chars, but the indent when using the help brings the whole line to > 80 chars. If you think this is worth doing, I could take care of changing this in gist.py (and presuambly some other files).

I should add back the ghelp command in the meantime.

You can get it from an older version of the code. I will try to update the CVS (but it may be a week or two).

That's perfectly fine with me - many thanks, Arnd