Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!xlned.com!feeder1.xlned.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.002 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'syntax': 0.04; 'interpreter': 0.05; 'subject:help': 0.08; 'exit': 0.09; 'subject:()': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; 'itself.': 0.14; 'added.': 0.16; 'help;': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'subject:screen': 0.16; 'subject:type': 0.16; 'sender:addr:gmail.com': 0.17; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'help.': 0.21; 'aug': 0.22; 'to:name:python- list@python.org': 0.22; 'versions': 0.24; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'feature': 0.29; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'python.org.': 0.31; 'subject:that': 0.31; 'fri,': 0.33; 'older': 0.33; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'that,': 0.38; 'does': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'changed': 0.39; 'believe': 0.68; 'special': 0.74 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:sender:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id :subject:to:content-type; bh=rkMqQ+RhZroJxVx5h81L6t3nQk8MfNTzUuzit4GdENA=; b=f5AUc1b5PlXygZyFQmDhpLxjuBAFU1X2lgLisodhIM98gJBIiFRv5LBeRWXPTz1cgv QsocU5/yID4C6ViQeKk+DOI7XJ2Plw0NWyuwDVCK3gB9Of1mUSBydBZnth4L1KGZC7Ra lRRfwm+cmGu1U9xvdyJZwAZzy/H8cFwATgzsQbhHwxeDEtNBEJtQ6K4SdhjpjPTuA3Kw n0ZcFlrMpNC6qWH+0t8h9AsTzyDrhjMgk8k6s4Ci6rsmHEWjWOLjZz/iApZ07qsh8Acg 4ADD2CUjar+p5/Dbizf+nY5HWSchY29eOWcBplcJg/273256oelFmklQM5KxGfcD9kNl 3rhw== X-Received: by 10.182.111.229 with SMTP id il5mr13477873obb.3.1409364831879; Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:13:51 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: zachary.ware@gmail.com In-Reply-To: References: <12p10atdufggrba3e5k9ie7kla17thh1ha@4ax.com> From: Zachary Ware Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 21:13:31 -0500 X-Google-Sender-Auth: cB2N4sYLM4mmfi_lze2cOFGBxFc Subject: Re: Typing help brings up a screen that says type help() To: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 14 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1409364834 news.xs4all.nl 2912 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:41779 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:77308 On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 8:41 PM, Terry Reedy wrote: > On 8/29/2014 4:40 PM, Seymore4Head wrote: >> older versions of python would allow ? as help. > > If I ever knew that, I have forgotten. The interpreter must have treated > '?' as a special case for interactive input. I suspect help was changed when > quit and exit were added. I don't believe '?' has ever been a feature of Python itself. However, IPython does use '?' as a syntax for help; you can try it with the in-browser interpreter at python.org. -- Zach