What are the Python Help Function With Code Example

Python Help Function

To Python help Function you comprehend its features and components, Python provides a number of resources. These consist of official documentation volumes, the built-in help() function, and a variety of online resources. As your applications get more complicated, it’s critical to understand how to access and use these resources.

The help() function is one of the main built-in utilities. It calls for the interpreter’s help feature directly. The standard PyDoc tool, which is Python code that can extract documentation from objects and format it into reports, includes the Python help Function. PyDoc creates these reports using documentation strings (docstrings) and related structural data.

Interactive Help Mode:

To enter Python Help Function mode in the Python interpreter, type help() and hit Enter. The help> prompt indicates that you are in help mode. You can peruse the available commands in this mode. You can find advice on what kinds of enquiries to ask in the first assistance message. Modules, keywords, symbols, and subjects are examples of basic topics. You type topics typically in uppercase and hit Enter to view them. You only need to type the name of the topic or command to view details about it in help mode. For instance, typing FUNCTIONS (uppercase) displays function information.

Pressing Enter without entering anything will return the prompt to the standard Python prompt (>>>) after you exit help mode. You may notice More at the bottom when in help mode displaying output, which indicates that there is more text available. To view the next page, use the spacebar or Enter. If you are looking at multi-page output, you can also press Ctrl+C to return to the Python prompt.

Example:

import math
# As you type 'math.p', VS Code will suggest 'pi'
# If you hover over 'math.pi' after typing it, a tooltip appears.
radius = 5
area = math.pi * radius**2
print(area)

output:

78.53981633974483

Direct Help:

Without switching to interactive mode, you can get assistance about a particular object straight from the regular Python prompt. Help(object) is the syntax, where object is the name of the object you wish to learn more about. For instance, the print() function’s documentation can be found via help(‘print’). You can either supply the object reference directly or as a string with the name of a module, function, class, method, keyword, or documentation topic.

Example:

help(print)
"Help on built-in function print in module builtins:"
print(...)
"print(value,sep= , end= \n, file=sys.stdot, flush=False)"
"Prints the values to a stream, or to sys.stdout by default."
"Optional keyword arguments:"
"file: a file-like object (stream); defaults to the current sys.stdout."
"sep: string inserted between values, default a space."
"end: string appended after the last value, default a newline."
"flush: whether to forcibly flush the stream.amiz.pro"

Output:

sh: 1: more: not found
Help on built-in function print in module builtins:
print(*args, sep=' ', end='\n', file=None, flush=False)
    Prints the values to a stream, or to sys.stdout by default.
    sep
      string inserted between values, default a space.
    end
      string appended after the last value, default a newline.
    file
      a file-like object (stream); defaults to the current sys.stdout.
    flush
      whether to forcibly flush the stream.

Both built-ins and your own modules and functions can use the Python Help function. When help() is invoked on an object, it shows helpful information such as the object’s docstring and occasionally structural features that PyDoc has discovered. Docstrings are special strings used to describe the purpose of an object. They are usually triple-quoted and occur as the first line in a module, class, or function description. The purpose of the function or object, the parameters it requires, and the type of value it returns should all be succinctly explained.

As you can see, help(str) offers comprehensive documentation about the built-in string type and its methods, while Python help function shows the docstring I defined. Use help(str.capitalize) to view assistance for a particular method, such as str.capitalize.

The official Python documentation manuals offer thorough documentation in addition to the interactive help() function. The most thorough and current explanations of the language and its tools can be found in these manuals. The Language Reference, which explicitly explains language-level information, and the Library Reference, which documents built-in types, functions, exceptions, and the standard library modules, are important components of the manual set. A beginner’s tutorial is also available. You can search both the Windows python help function file version and the online content.

In addition to official instructions, many online resources can help. A database of user-made modules that may be downloaded is the Python Package Index (PyPI). Popular online forums where you can get community answers to your queries include Stack Overflow. Examples and explanations of different modules can be found on websites such as the Python 3 Module of the Week

Lastly, even though python help function frequently employs docstrings, it’s important to understand how they differ from standard # comments. Docstrings are programmatically accessible and are affixed to objects (for example, through the doc attribute or help()). Python ignores comments that begin with # while it is running; these comments are typically for programmers who are reviewing the source code. According to best practices, # comments should be used for micro-level information (“how this strange expression works”) and docstrings for functional documentation (“what my file/function does”).