[issue20285] Improve object.__doc__ and help(object) output

[Terry J. Reedy]

New submission from Terry J. Reedy:

>>> object.__doc__
'The most base type'

Since 'most base' can be interpreted as 'least desireable', several people on Python list (2013 Dec, "interactive help on the base object") agree that this should be improved. Even is 'most base' is interpreted as a value-free 'bottommost', there is the direction issue. Whether the root of a tree or DAG is at top or bottom or side depends on how the graph is drawn. I suggest

"The superclass for all Python classes."

===
>>> help(object)
Help on class object in module builtins:

class object
 |  The most base type
===

I think help(object) should display the methods defined on the object class just as it does on all the other classes. The apparent problem is that help(subclass) supresses the object methods, but it should not for object itself.

----------
messages: 208317
nosy: terry.reedy
priority: normal
severity: normal
stage: test needed
status: open
title: Improve object.__doc__ and help(object) output
type: behavior
versions: Python 2.7, Python 3.3, Python 3.4

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue20285>
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