[Python-Dev] doctest improvements

Edward Loper edloper at gradient.cis.upenn.edu
Mon May 31 20:41:44 EDT 2004


Tim Peters wrote:
> [...] Making a doctest
> reader learn a special "doctest markup language" is A Problem in this case.
> Offhand, I'd be happier with an almost-self-evident (say)
> 
>     <blank line>

Perhaps you'd be happier with a different value of BLANKLINE_MARKER, 
then?  E.g. "blank>":

def test():
     r"""
     A different marker:

             >>> print 'a\n\nb'
             a
       blank>
             b
     """

Although this means that you have to indent the doctest quite far. 
Perhaps it would be better if I changed the patch so the marker doesn't 
need to dedented all the way?  E.g.:

def test():
     r"""
     A different marker:

         >>> print 'a\n\nb'
         a
       <blank line>
         b
     """

Another option to consider might be:

def test():
     r"""
     A different marker:

         >>> print 'a\n\nb'
       | a
       |
       | b
     """

I.e., the user can optionally preceed each line with a "|" (or some 
other marker), dedented past the prompt, to mark the extent of the 
output.  I don't think this looks as wysiwyg, though.

-Edward




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