Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!news.albasani.net!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.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 0.030 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.94; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:help': 0.08; '*is*': 0.09; 'lawrence': 0.09; 'useless': 0.09; 'worse': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'awkward,': 0.16; 'better?': 0.16; 'subject:object': 0.16; 'wording': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'module': 0.19; 'basically': 0.19; '(the': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'pointer': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; 'am,': 0.29; 'dec': 0.30; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; '>>>>': 0.31; 'libraries': 0.31; 'anyone': 0.31; 'class': 0.32; 'url:python': 0.33; 'fri,': 0.33; 'not.': 0.33; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'surely': 0.36; 'words,': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'example,': 0.37; 'url:library': 0.38; 'anything': 0.39; 'does': 0.39; 'enough': 0.39; 'is.': 0.60; 'most': 0.60; 'url:3': 0.61; "you're": 0.61; 'more': 0.64; 'frequently': 0.68; 'subject:base': 0.84; 'to:addr:yahoo.co.uk': 0.84; 'url:html#object': 0.84; '2013': 0.98 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc:content-type; bh=/Jkq/RI9G3+/GuZZ8YT71MEx2f183H2hZUbfbBnAVOw=; b=Vz3ReFWOmjCtzwda99ZrJdNF2nv84TrFLukekxKN/IVyNE8BEMdCofQII/9xcyQciW hPv1+5JlIQbQxZWSRQeWqT8yPR/ZTHX7RE/W4zpEGmN5ABBNMhzXI8u4/h2X00gQyv3u aeCKpSEje0uj/HSGkCOxqlbem0IkPh+gI2lB2RTldxWWq+QZRYiNRjNY62PJdMp4vAO1 3ZgVmPSfoC4ll5z6+fPEp+kmaWOuxluh5Qr3wwd8kk7oPLxatoqYQsAqojkVujjJmPdr RjROYtaa5U8Q0RYUMPlC6+094lj6fJLn1n5jfQtXkTeY6P5uEPvDhJh8OKkIUc0h15s3 epOQ== X-Received: by 10.224.51.7 with SMTP id b7mr22375880qag.74.1386480257726; Sat, 07 Dec 2013 21:24:17 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: From: Devin Jeanpierre Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2013 21:23:37 -0800 Subject: Re: interactive help on the base object To: Mark Lawrence Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Cc: "comp.lang.python" 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: 21 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1386480260 news.xs4all.nl 2833 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:57476 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:61271 On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 9:03 AM, Mark Lawrence wrote: > Is it just me, or is this basically useless? > >>>> help(object) > Help on class object in module builtins: > > class object > | The most base type > >>>> > > Surely a few more words, or a pointer to this > http://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#object, would be better? It's good enough to give anyone that's seen it before a reminder of what it is. pydoc is useless or worse if you don't know anything about what you're reading. For example, the HTML docs frequently point out potential security vulnerabilities in usages of libraries where pydoc does not. (The wording *is* awkward, though.) -- Devin