[Python-Dev] Pre-PEP Idea

[Paul Prescod]

Moshe Zadka wrote:
> 
> BTW, that should probably be CCed to the doc-sig, because that information
> has to come from somewhere.

True enough. Let me get some infrastructure in place and sic them on it.
It may also be good to ask for volunteers in c.l.py.

Here are my ideas about content:

1. There is the list of hardcoded strings that are probably just
triple-quoted strings.

2. There are docstrings.

3. If you happen to know a filename, you can reach into the HTML docs
like this:
	help( "docs:lib/module-grp.html")

4. Docstrings can "redirect" to the HTML docs like this:

def myfunc():
	"""No docs here! Please see <docs:lib/module-grp.html>"""
	...

Here's what the HTML-converted output will look like (not perfect but
not
bad):

next[1] up[2] previous[3] Python Library Reference contents[4]
modules[5]
index[6] Next: 8.1 posix [7] Up: Python Library Reference[8] Previous:
7.15.1 Completer Objects[9]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Unix Specific Services

The modules described in this chapter provide interfaces to features
that are unique to the Unix operating system, or in some cases to some
or many variants of it. Here's an overview:

posix[10] The most common POSIX system calls (normally used via module
os[11]). 
pwd[12] The password database (getpwnam() and friends). 
grp[13] The group database (getgrnam() and friends). 
crypt[14] The crypt() function used to check Unix passwords. 
dl[15] Call C functions in shared objects. 
dbm[16] The standard ``database'' interface, based on ndbm.
gdbm[17] GNU's reinterpretation of dbm. 
termios[18] POSIX style tty control. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
next[30] up[31] previous[32] Python Library Reference contents[33]
modules[34] index[35] Next: 8.1 posix [36] Up: Python Library
Reference[37]
Previous: 7.15.1 Completer Objects[38]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
See About this document...[39] for information on suggesting changes.
[1] docs:lib/module-posix.html
[2] docs:lib/lib.html
[3] docs:lib/completer-objects.html
...

Thanks Fred and Guido. The htmllib code is pretty close for what I need!
-- 
 Paul Prescod - Not encumbered by corporate consensus
It's difficult to extract sense from strings, but they're the only
communication coin we can count on. 
	- http://www.cs.yale.edu/~perlis-alan/quotes.html