[Python-Dev] PEP 287: reStructuredText Standard Docstring Format

[Guido van Rossum]

> Why does the community need a new structured text design? What is
> wrong with existing markup methodologies? The PEP didn't answer these
> with any cogent examples, IMHO.

Maybe that's because it's obvious to anyone who has hung out on
doc-sig long enough.  Structured text is really a great idea for
certain situations; reST is a much better implementation of the idea
than any versions I've seen before.  E.g. the ST code in Zope stinks
(this is not a secret).

> The only rationale that I saw was existing use: the people that
> already make use of it find it natural, and everyone else has to learn
> it.

Maybe David needs to write up the rationale better.  But I can assure
you there is one.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)