epydocgui - graphical interface to epydoc

epydocgui [project.prj | modules...]

epydoc -h

epydoc -V

epydocgui is a graphical interface to epydoc, which generates API documentation for Python modules and packages, based on their docstrings. A lightweight markup language called epytext can be used to format docstrings, and to add information about specific fields, such as parameters and instance variables.

The API documentation produced by epydocgui consists of a set of HTML files. Two subdirectories are created for the public and private documentation. Within each subdirectories, every class and module is documented in its own file. An index file, a trees file, and a help file are also created. If you select the frames option, then a frames-based table of contents is also produced.

This section describes Debian-specific behavior.

By default, the epydocgui command runs using the default version of Python in /usr/bin/python. If /usr/bin/python is not found, the command works through a list of various other executables which should be available on a Debian system, i.e. /usr/bin/python2.2, /usr/bin/python2.3, etc. If no sensible python is found in the usual locations, the command falls back on the first python found in the user's $PATH.

The user may override the script's choice of python using the $PYTHONVER environment variable, i.e.

PYTHONVER=2.2 epydocgui [...]

If $PYTHONVER is set, the command will use the first python$PYTHONVER found in the user's $PATH.

Note: in order to use epydocgui with Python 2.1 or 2.2, you must have the appropriate python-xmlbase package (python2.1-xmlbase or python2.2-xmlbase) installed on your system as described in the package dependencies.

project.prj

The name of a project file that was saved with epydocgui. Project files record a list of related modules, and the options that should be used to generate the documentation for those modules.

modules...

The list of the modules that should be documented. Modules can be specified using module names (such as os.path), filenames (such as epydoc/epytext.py), or directory names (such as epydoc/). Directory names specify packages, and are expanded to include all sub-modules and sub-packages.

-h, --help, --usage, -?

Display a usage message.

-V, --version

Print the version of Epydoc.

The API documentation produced by epydoc consists of the following files:

index.html

The standard entry point for the documentation. Normally, index.html is a frame index file, which defines three frames: two frames on the left side of the browser contain a table of contents, and the main frame on the right side of the window contains documentation pages. But if the --no-frames option is used, then index.html will redirect the user to the project's top page.

m-module.html

The API documentation for a module. module is the complete dotted name of the module, such as sys or epydoc.epytext.

c-class.html

The API documentation for a class, exception, or type. class is the complete dotted name of the class, such as epydoc.epytext.Token or array.ArrayType.

trees.html

The module and class hierarchies.

indices.html

The term and identifier indices.

help.html

The help page for the project. This page explains how to use and navigate the webpage produced by epydoc.

toc.html

The top-level table of contents page. This page is displayed in the upper-left frame, and provides links to toc-everything.html and the toc-m-module.html files. toc.html is not generated if the --no-frames option is used.

toc-everything.html

The table of contents for the entire project. This page is displayed in the lower-left frame, and provides links to every class, type, exception, function, and variable defined by the project. toc-everything.html is not generated if the --no-frames option is used.

toc-m-module.html

The table of contents for a module. This page is displayed in the lower-left frame, and provides links to every class, type, exception, function, and variable defined by the module. module is the complete dotted name of the module, such as sys or epydoc.epytext. toc-m-module.html is not generated if the --no-frames option is used.

epydoc.css

The CSS stylesheet used to display all HTML pages.

By default, epydoc creates two subdirectories in the output directory: public and private. Each directory contains all of the files specified above. But if the --no-private option is used, then no subdirectories are created, and the public documentation is written directly to the output directory. ivided into five categories: import errors; epytext errors; epytext warnings; field warnings; and inspection errors. Whenver epydoc encounters an error, it issues a warning message that describes the error, and attempts to continue generating documentation.

Import errors indicate that epydoc was unable to import a module. Import errors typically prevent epydoc from generating documentation for the module in question. Epydoc can generate the following import errors:

Bad module name module

Epydoc attempted to import module, but module is not a valid name for a Python module.

Could not find a UID for link-target

Epydoc was unable to find the object referred to by an inline link construction (L{...}). This is usually caused by a typo in the link.

Could not import module

Epydoc attempted to import module, but it failed. This typically occurs when module raises an exception.

file does not exist

Epydoc attempted to import the module contained in file, but file does not exist.

Epytext errors are caused by epytext docstrings that contain invalid markup. Whenever an epytext error is detected, the docstring in question is treated as a plaintext docstring. Epydoc can generate the following epytext errors:

Bad link target.

The target specified for an inline link contruction (L{...}) is not well-formed. Link targets must be valid python identifiers.

Bad uri target.

The target specified for an inline uri contruction (U{...}) is not well-formed. This typically occurs if inline markup is nested inside the URI target.

Fields must be at the top level.

The list of fields (@param, etc.) is contained by some other block structure (such as a list or a section).

Fields must be the final elements.

The list of fields (@param, etc.) is not at the end of a docstring.

Headings must occur at top level.

The heading is contianed in some other block structure (such as a list).

Improper doctest block indentation.

The doctest block dedents past the indentation of its initial prompt line.

Improper heading indentation.

The heading for a section is not left-aligned with the paragraphs in the section that contains it.

Improper paragraph indentation.

The paragraphs within a block are not left-aligned. This error is often generated when plaintext docstrings are parsed using epytext.

Invalid escape.

An unknown escape sequence was used with the inline escape construction (E{...}).

Lists must be indented.

An unindented line immediately following a paragraph starts with a list bullet. Epydoc is not sure whether you meant to start a new list item, or meant for a paragraph to include a word that looks like a bullet. If you intended the former, then indent the list. If you intended the latter, then change the word-wrapping of the paragraph, or escape the first character of the word that looks like a bullet.

Unbalanced '{'.

The docstring contains unbalanced braces. Epytext requires that all braces must be balanced. To include a single unbalanced brace, use the escape sequences E{lb} (left brace) and E{rb} (right brace).

Unbalanced '}'.

The docstring contains unbalanced braces. Epytext requires that all braces must be balanced. To include a single unbalanced brace, use the escape sequences E{lb} (left brace) and E{rb} (right brace).

Unknown inline markup tag.

An unknown tag was used with the inline markup construction ( x{...} ).

Wrong underline character for heading.

The underline character used for this section heading does not indicate an appopriate section level. The "=" character should be used to underline sections; "-" for subsections; and "~" for subsubsections.

Epytext warnings are caused by epytext docstrings that contain questionable or suspicious markup. Epytext warnings do not prevent the docstring in question from being parsed. Epydoc can generate the following epytext warnings:

Possible mal-formatted field item.

Epytext detected a line that looks like a field item, but is not correctly formatted. This typically occurs when the trailing colon (":") is not included in the field tag.

Possible heading typo.

Epytext detected a pair of lines that looks like a heading, but the number of underline characters does not match the number of characters in the heading. The number of characters in these two lines must match exactly for them to be considered a heading.

Field warnings are caused by epytext docstrings containing invalid fields. The contents of the invalid field are generally ignored. Epydoc can generate the following field warnings:

@param for unknown parameter param.

A @param field was used to specify the type for a parameter that is not included in the function's signature. This is typically caused by a typo in the parameter name.

tag did not expect an argument.

The field tag tag was used with an argument, but it does not take one.

tag expected an argument.

The field tag tag was used without an argument, but it requires one.

@type for unknown parameter param.

A @type field was used to specify the type for a parameter that is not included in the function's signature. This is typically caused by a typo in the parameter name.

@type for unknown variable var.

A @type field was used to specify the type for a variable, but no other information is known about the variable. This is typically caused by a typo in the variable name.

Unknown field tag tag.

A docstring contains a field with the unknown tag tag.

Redefinition of field.

Multiple field tags define the value of field in the same docstring, but field can only take a single value.

Inspection errors are generated if epydoc encounters problems while attempting to inspect the properties of a documented object. Most of inspection errors do not prevent epydoc from documenting the object in question. Epydoc can generate the following inspection errors:

The parameters of inhmethod do not match basemethod.

The parameters of the undocumented method inhmethod do not match the parameters of the base class method basemethod that it overrides. As a result, inhmethod does not inherit documentation from basemethod. If the difference in parameters is intentional, then you can eliminate the warning by adding a (possibly empty) docstring to inhmethod.

Docmap cannot add a type

Epydoc attempted to document an object with an unknown type. This error is typically generated by packages and modules that manipulate the import mechanism, such that importing a module produces some other type of object.

UID conflict detected: uid

Two different objects were assigned the same unique identifier by epydoc. This can cause epydoc to substitute the documentation of one object with the documentation of another object that is assigned the same unique identifier. However, this will usually only cause problems if the two objects with the same unique identifiers are both modules or classes, in which case the API documentation page for one object will overwrite the API documentation page for the other object.

object appears in multiple builtin modules

While attempting to determine which module defines the builtin object object, epydoc encountered multiple candidates, and was unable to decide which candidate was correct. In this case, epydoc arbitrarily chooses the first candidate that it finds.

object appears in multiple .py modules

While attempting to determine which module defines the builtin object object, epydoc encountered multiple candidates, and was unable to decide which candidate was correct. In this case, epydoc arbitrarily chooses the first candidate that it finds.

object appears in multiple .so modules

While attempting to determine which module defines the builtin object object, epydoc encountered multiple candidates, and was unable to decide which candidate was correct. In this case, epydoc arbitrarily chooses the first candidate that it finds.

Could not find a module for object

Epydoc was unable to determine which module defines object. If object is a function, then this will prevent epydoc from generating any documentation for object, since it does not know what page to put the documentation on. Otherwise, this will prevent the documentation for object from including a link to its containing module.

Epydoc was written by Edward Loper. This man page was originally written by Moshe Zadka, and is currently maintained by Edward Loper. Debian-specific modifications were made by Kenneth J. Pronovici.

Report bugs to <edloper@gradient.cis.upenn.edu>.

epydoc(1)

The epydoc webpage

<http://epydoc.sourceforge.net>

The epytext markup language manual

<http://epydoc.sourceforge.net/epytext.html>