[Python-ideas] Help mode improvement.

[Yuval Greenfield]

On Oct 10, 2011 7:48 PM, "Stayvoid" <stayvoid at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi there!
>
> I want to make an improvement connected with the interactive help mode.
>
> Example:
> You want to check some keys in the dictionary, but you can't remember
> the syntax of the command.
>
> If you type something like this: help(key), the interpreter will
> output an error. Because help(key) is just a plain
> expression, and it tries to evaluate key first before even calling
> help(). Maybe help(*key*) could make it work?
>
> In my opinion it will be very helpful for newcomers if the interpreter
> could search for similar commands and output them all.
>
> Code listing:
> help(*key*)
> -
> [1] D.has_key()
> [2] D.keys()
> …
>
> To learn more you should type the number.
>
> I think the game is worth the candle if the suggested feature could
> work as fast as the current helper.
>
> Kind regards.
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I think a lot of things can be improved in help() but I wouldn't change the
python language for that.

Once in help(), that kind of builtin/types/modules/methods/docs searching
should be more easily accessible. Right now you have to specifically know
what you're looking for to find most things.

--Yuval
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