[Doc-SIG] PEP-0216

[Moshe Zadka]

On Fri, 10 Nov 2000, Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) wrote:

> The question is, can we have it by Python 2.1 (hmm, first beta February
> 2001, final release March 2001 - let's go for it!)

Let me state my own view for the Python time line, and how
the doc-sig and PEP-0216 fits into it.

The distutils are already finished, and the catalog-sig is starting
to come up with a CPAN-like module repository. There are good
chances both of these will exist in time for 2.1. None of this will
really take off, if after people install a module by just wishing
it so (which can be made pretty close to the truth) they cannot
see how to use it.

So, what has to be for 2.1 is

a. A way to have all Python documentation inside the modules, so 
   people will have good examples to follow.
For that, we'll need
b. A way to generate Python-LaTeX documentation from docstrings.
With a little luck, we'll use (b) and something completely unlrelated
c. An XML format for Python documentation, and a set of tools
   to convert it to other formats (HTML, manpages and LaTeX is a must)
   will replace the current hardly-manageable doc tool-chain
To create
d. A tool in standard Python 2.1 distribution, which displays a module's
   documentation, using whatever means available.

PEP-0216 is responsible for a and b, and converting b into d when Fred
finally finds the correct XML format.

we-only-have-four-months-ly y'rs, Z.
--
Moshe Zadka <moshez@math.huji.ac.il> -- 95855124
http://advogato.org/person/moshez