Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed4.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!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 0.017 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.97; '*S*': 0.00; 'parameters': 0.04; 'third- party': 0.04; '(especially': 0.07; 'occasionally': 0.09; 'omit': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; '(unlike': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; "function's": 0.16; 'order)': 0.16; 'sat,': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'module': 0.19; 'not,': 0.20; 'otherwise,': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'pass': 0.26; 'primary': 0.26; 'defined': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; 'quickly': 0.29; 'especially': 0.30; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; "d'aprano": 0.31; 'default,': 0.31; 'prints': 0.31; 'steven': 0.31; 'though.': 0.31; 'class': 0.32; 'checking': 0.33; 'could': 0.34; 'tool': 0.35; 'usual': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'useful': 0.36; 'pm,': 0.38; 'rather': 0.38; 'how': 0.40; 'skip:u 10': 0.60; 'commands': 0.60; 'here:': 0.62; 'more': 0.64; 'great': 0.65; 'mar': 0.68; 'useful.': 0.68; 'online': 0.71; '2015': 0.84; 'whereby': 0.84; 'on?': 0.91; 'to:none': 0.92 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=Q2GwiFtFdph7vYijNOJzJLg4BdBKRq0PM7a18SVmlIY=; b=DQHWX8IIqDuB/edltWxhay2U2MWmVKlzl2fVLVQwfZC7T+Y03r4KoMxBVNP8SfTWOp Xx/+/wn4vjA6RJafdDUxIeU3D+ujP1hKiSI82qP5I16fywIQxRUOGMgRG2Hj5vuEP+FR fnQl0+CbqbAe8SNif81FhOxzdrhQAdavjmCRJsLkMSkA5phHzeJUsrpZDs7SuuEpaW6K 9XVp+2ug90ClCBnPu+eJp1QAc30oDqxulZmxAtLrzW4OCYHNzFUt0Le19GniyBEWuZ+Z e2n+4ja/7z51l+ZgPu0PfilV3vaNzdVva+mDbFnRrnfLi0h1TY3WiU/j+A3M5139fUYJ 55rQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.42.238.140 with SMTP id ks12mr10021929icb.12.1427528736133; Sat, 28 Mar 2015 00:45:36 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <5516591d$0$13013$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <87bnjhyohp.fsf@uriel.graune.org> <9b6f41d0-e27e-4e0b-b04d-d15627667330@googlegroups.com> <5514ddee$0$12979$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <1a8eccd0-50d7-4eb3-84ec-5c7bbdb34b89@googlegroups.com> <5516591d$0$13013$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2015 18:45:35 +1100 Subject: Re: Supply condition in function call From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.19 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: 21 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1427528744 news.xs4all.nl 2895 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:60907 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:88207 On Sat, Mar 28, 2015 at 6:32 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: >> | Methods defined here: > > This is the usual guff that help() prints when you pass it a class or type. > Occasionally it is useful. Often it is not, especially the dunder methods. > > Unfortunately help's UI is rather primitive. It would be nice if it provided > a menu of commands whereby you could hide/show dunders (hidden by default, > perhaps), but that's an order of magnitude more complexity. It might make a > nice third-party tool though. This is why I would never point someone to help() as a means of primary learning. It's great for quickly checking a function's parameters (especially their order) when you already know what it does. Otherwise, how do you know what to call help() on? Much more useful to start with the online module docs, which are searchable (unlike help(modulename), broadly speaking), and which omit all the dunders. ChrisA