[Python-Dev] Allow use of sphinx-autodoc in the standard library documentation?

[R. David Murray]

On Thu, 10 May 2012 15:02:20 +1000, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
> So, given the advantages of autodoc, is there a concrete reason why we
> can't use it for the documentation of *new* standard library modules?

Yes.  Our reason is that docstrings should be relatively lightweight,
and that the sphinx docs should be the more expansive version of the
documentation.

Yes, this creates a double-maintenance burden, and the two sometimes
slip of of sync.  But it is a long-standing rule and will doubtless
require considerable bikeshedding if we want to change it :)

--David