Function docstring as a local variable

T

Tim Johnson

Consider the following:
## code
def test():
"""This is my docstring"""
print(??) ## can I print the docstring above?
## /code
It possible for a function to print it's own docstring?

thanks
(pointers to docs could be sufficient)
 
C

Corey Richardson

Excerpts from Colin J. Williams's message of Sun Jul 10 18:28:15 -0400 2011:
Try:

def f():
ds= """docstring"""
print ds

That doesn't actually make a docstring, though. It makes a string object and
points the name ds at it. Do you know what a docstring is?

def foo():
"""I am a docstring"""
pass

def bar():
ds = "I am not a docstring!"

def baz():
"I am a docstring too!"
pass

def qux():
'And even me! Quote type don't matter (besides style)'
pass
--
Corey Richardson
"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves"
-- Abraham Lincoln

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S

Steven D'Aprano

Excerpts from Colin J. Williams's message of Sun Jul 10 18:28:15 -0400
2011:

That doesn't actually make a docstring, though. It makes a string object
and points the name ds at it. Do you know what a docstring is?


Colin might not be aware of why docstrings are useful, and arbitrary local
variables ds="""docstring""" are not.


def f1():
"""This is my documentation string.

Imagine this has actual useful information.
"""

def f2():
dc = """This is my documentation string.

Imagine this has actual useful information.
"""


Now, at the interactive interpreter, call:

help(f1)
help(f2)
 

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