Python documentation strings (or docstrings) provide a convenient way of associating documentation with Python modules, functions, classes, and methods. An object's docsting is defined by including a string constant as the first statement in the object's definition. For example, the following function defines a docstring:
defx_intercept(m, b):""" Return the x intercept of the line y=m*x+b. The x intercept of a line is the point at which it crosses the x axis (y=0). """return-b/m
Docstrings can be accessed from the interpreter and from Python
programs using the "__doc__" attribute:
>>>Return the x intercept of the line y=m*x+b. The x intercept of a line is the point at which it crosses the x axis (y=0).
The pydoc module, which became part of the standard library in Python 2.1, can be used to display information about a Python object, including its docstring:
>>>frompydocimporthelp>>>help(x_intercept)Help on function x_intercept in module __main__: x_intercept(m, b) Return the x intercept of the line y=m*x+b. The x intercept of a line is the point at which it crosses the x axis (y=0).
For more information about Python docstrings, see the Python Tutorial or the Oreilly Network article Python Documentation Tips and Tricks.
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