Getting doc string of a python file

Question

Is there a way of getting the doc string of a python file if I have only the name of the file ? For instance I have a python file named a.py. I know that it has a doc string ( being mandated before) but don't know of its internal structure i.e if it has any classes or a main etc ? I hope I not forgetting something pretty obvious If I know it has a main function I can do it this way that is using import

     filename = 'a.py'
     foo = __import__(filename)
     filedescription = inspect.getdoc(foo.main())

I can't just do it this way:

     filename.__doc__    #it does not work

Mike Pennington · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-21 10:49:52Z

8

You should be doing...

foo = __import__('a')
mydocstring = foo.__doc__

or yet simpler...

import a
mydocstring = a.__doc__

answered Oct 21, 2011 at 10:49

Mike Pennington

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1 Comment

johnny alpaca Over a year ago

Aah got it Using import makes it an object and thus .__doc__ works otherwise a is just treated as a string and thus fails.

mengqi · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-23 08:15:28Z

8

import ast

filepath = "/tmp/test.py"

file_contents = ""
with open(filepath) as fd:
    file_contents = fd.read()
module = ast.parse(file_contents)
docstring = ast.get_docstring(module)
if docstring is None:
    docstring = ""

print(docstring)

answered Feb 23, 2018 at 8:15

mengqi

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Comments

Lucas B · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-23 13:06:04Z

1

And if you need the docstrings of the module your are already in :

import sys
sys.modules[__name__].__doc__

answered Nov 23, 2017 at 13:06

Lucas B

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