[Python-Dev] query: docstring formatting in python distutils code

[Georg Brandl]

Am 08.07.2010 17:44, schrieb Martin Geisler:
> Steve Holden <steve at holdenweb.com> writes:
> 
>> Martin Geisler wrote:
>>> "Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen at xemacs.org> writes:
>>> 
>>>> Just ask Martin, there are too many possibilities here to worry
>>>> about. If maybe we want it, and he is willing to contribute the
>>>> parts he wrote to Python under Python's license, then we can worry
>>>> about whether we really want it and about how much any required
>>>> hoop-jumping will cost.
>>> 
>>> I would be happy to relicense it under the Python license.
>>
>> I believe the ideal outcome, if it is possible, is for you to sign a
>> contributor agreement. This will license your material to the PSF in
>> such a way that we can release it under whatever license we deem
>> necessary.
> 
> Sure, I'll be happy to sign a contributor agreement if you guys think it
> worthwhile to use my little parser and formatter.

Problem is, in the case of help() we have no way of knowing whether the
given __doc__ string is supposed to be (mini)reST.  Of course, reverting
to showing the plain content on parsing errors is one possibility, but
I can still imagine instances where something is successfully interpreted
as reST, but intended to be read and understood verbatim by the author.

It's different for Hg, of course, there you can just decide that help
texts have to be reST.

Georg


-- 
Thus spake the Lord: Thou shalt indent with four spaces. No more, no less.
Four shall be the number of spaces thou shalt indent, and the number of thy
indenting shall be four. Eight shalt thou not indent, nor either indent thou
two, excepting that thou then proceed to four. Tabs are right out.