[Python-Dev] RE: [Doc-SIG] pydoc.py (show docs both inside and outside of Python)

[Ka-Ping Yee]

On Mon, 15 Jan 2001, Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) wrote:
> I get the documentation for <name> OK, but it is preceded with a line
> claiming that:
> 
> 	The system cannot find the path specified.

Thanks for the NT testing.  That's funny -- i put in a special case
for Windows to avoid messages like the above a couple of days ago.
How recently did you download pydoc.py?  Does your copy contain:

    if hasattr(sys, 'winver'):
        return lambda text: tempfilepager(text, 'more')

?

> 	<name>.py -- information about the module
> 
> which, when pydoc'ed, results in a NAME line which starts with <name>
> twice...
> Of course, if I'm the only person doing this, I'll just have to, well,
> stop...)

I think i'm going to ask you to stop, unless Guido prefers
otherwise.  Guido, do you have a style pronouncement for module
docstrings?

> A request - a "-f" switch to allow the user to specify a particular
> Python file (i.e., something not on the PYTHONPATH).

Yes, it's on my to-do list.

So you can see what i'm up to, here's my current to-do list:

    make boldness optional (only if using more/less?  only Unix?)
    document a .py file given on the command line
  + webserver in background
    help should have a repr
    write a better htmlrepr (\n should look special, max length limit, etc.)
    generate docs from lib HTML
    generate HTML index from precis and __path__ and package contents list
    have help(...) produce a directory of available things to ask for help on
    curses.wrapper is broken: both function and package
    respect package __all__
    coherent answer to .py vs .pyc: do we show .pyc?
    fix getcomments() bug: last two lines stuck together
  + grey out shadowed modules/packages
    refactor .py/.pyc/.module.so/.module.so.1 listers in htmldoc, textdoc
    skip __main__ module
  + index built-in modules too
    Windows and Mac testing
    default to HTTP mode on GUI platforms?  (win, mac)

The ones marked with + i consider done.  Feel free to comment on
or suggest priorities for the others; in particular, what do you
think of the last one?  The idea is that double-clicking on
pydoc.py in Windows or MacOS could launch the server and then open
the localhost URL using webbrowser.py to display the documentation
index.  Should it do this by default?


-- ?!ng