[issue32123] Make the API of argparse.HelpFormatter public

[Bernhard10]

New submission from Bernhard10 <thiel at tbi.univie.ac.at>:

Since there have not been any significant change to the code of argparse.HelpFormatter in the last few years but there are still some open issues where people want to customize formatting, I would like to ask: What is required before parts of the API of argparse.HelpFormatter can be made public?

Related issues:
https://bugs.python.org/issue17113 RawDescriptionHelpFormatter removes blank lines
https://bugs.python.org/issue12806 and https://bugs.python.org/issue22029 request a formatter that (partly) wraps lines but keeps newlines.
https://bugs.python.org/issue11695 costumize usage
https://bugs.python.org/issue28742 Improve ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter


All this issues could be fixed outside the standard library by sub-classing HelpFormatter, which would require a public and documented API for it.

So my question: What is missing before HelpFormatter can get a public API and how can I help?

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components: Library (Lib)
messages: 306879
nosy: Bernhard10
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: Make the API of argparse.HelpFormatter public
type: enhancement
versions: Python 3.8

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue32123>
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