[Python-Dev] Quick poll: should help() show bound arguments?

[Larry Hastings]

(Quick, because apparently nobody reads the long ones!)

In Python 3.3:

     >>> class C:
    ...    def foo(self, a):  pass
    ...
     >>> c = C()
     >>> help(c.foo)

shows you the signature "foo(self, a)".  As in, it claims it accepts two 
parameters.  The function actually only accepts one parameter, because 
"self" has already been bound.  inspect.signature gets this right:

     >>> import inspect
     >>> str(inspect.signature(c.foo))
    '(a)'

but inspect.getfullargspec does not:

     >>> inspect.getfullargspec(c.foo)
    FullArgSpec(args=['self', 'a'], varargs=None, varkw=None,
    defaults=None, kwonlyargs=[], kwonlydefaults=None, annotations={})


help() gets its text from pydoc.  pydoc uses inspect.getfullargspec to 
produce the signature.

When I added support for introspection on builtins, I wanted help() to 
show their signature too.  But inspect.getfullargspec doesn't support 
introspection on builtins.  So I had to use inspect.signature.  Which 
means the behavior is inconsistent: help() on a method of an instance of 
a builtin class *doesn't* show "self".


FYI, the relevant issues:

    help(instance_of_builtin_class.method) does not display self

        http://bugs.python.org/issue20379

    inspect.getfullargspec should use __siganture__

        http://bugs.python.org/issue17481


What should it be?

A) pydoc and help() should not show bound parameters in the signature, 
like inspect.signature.
B) pydoc and help() should show bound parameters in the signature, like 
inspect.getfullargspec.

I'll tally the results if there's interest.  I'd assume a "vote for A" = 
+1 on A and -1 on B.  You can express your vote numerically if you 
like.  I'm voting for A.


And yes, that was short for me,


//arry/
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