[Doc-SIG] New PEP: reStructuredText Standard Docstring Format

David Goodger goodger@users.sourceforge.net
Wed, 27 Mar 2002 22:23:58 -0500


Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) wrote:
> """There is no significant downside to using reStructuredText."""
> 
> Hmm. Somehow that feels like damning with faint praise.

Agreed; dropped.

> """The Docutils project is at the point where standalone
> reStructuredText documents can be converted to HTML."""
> 
> ...and other output formats are in preperation?

Added "other output format writers will become available over time."

The updated PEP is still available at
http://docutils.sourceforge.net/spec/pep-xxxx.txt.

> Also, aren't there some tool users keeping track of events - both
> HappyDoc and one of the Wikis? Might it be worth finding out
> explicitly if they are considering adopting reStructuredText as one
> of their bag of input formats?

I contacted several tool authors privately in the past.  Some
expressed interest, most were noncommittal; no-one was against the
idea.  I think time constraints and/or a "wait and see" attitude
prevent most from active participation.  And rightly so -- there have
been many similar projects started which haven't caught on -- once
bitten, twice shy.  HappyDoc has been the most successful, I think,
but I have yet to dig into its source code so I can't complain that we
haven't joined forces.

With accepted PEPs to rally around, I hope more people will join in
the fun.

-- 
David Goodger    goodger@users.sourceforge.net    Open-source projects:
 - Python Docstring Processing System: http://docstring.sourceforge.net
 - reStructuredText: http://structuredtext.sourceforge.net
 - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net