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gh-138094: Fix misleading suggestions in interactive `help` prompt by adqm · Pull Request #138095 · python/cpython · GitHub

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gh-138094: Fix misleading suggestions in interactive help prompt #138095

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gh-138094: Fix misleading suggestions in interactive help prompt #138095

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9646762
don't suggest things involving help() at the interactive help prompt
adqm Aug 21, 2025
a70cbdd
better output for help(help)
adqm Aug 23, 2025
f069a99
use helper function for intro text instead of rewriting it
adqm Aug 23, 2025
c6912de
change test case to adjust for change in interactive help
adqm Aug 23, 2025
1d822ca
more accurate help(help) output
adqm Aug 23, 2025
45b5b4f
add news blurb
adqm Aug 23, 2025
4617a58
Use Sphinx reference in news blurb
adqm Aug 24, 2025
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53 changes: 43 additions & 10 deletions Lib/pydoc.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -1771,7 +1771,7 @@ def render_doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0,
return title % desc + '\n\n' + renderer.document(object, name)

def doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0,
output=None, is_cli=False):
output=None, is_cli=False, is_interactive=False):
"""Display text documentation, given an object or a path to an object."""
if output is None:
try:
Expand All @@ -1787,7 +1787,11 @@ def doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0,
except ImportError as exc:
if is_cli:
raise
print(exc)
if is_interactive:
# don't show the usual hints if we're running interactively
print(exc.args[0].splitlines(False)[0])
else:
print(exc)
else:
try:
s = render_doc(thing, title, forceload, plaintext)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2070,10 +2074,7 @@ def interact(self):
and request[0] not in request[1:-1]):
request = request[1:-1]
if request.lower() in ('q', 'quit', 'exit'): break
if request == 'help':
self.intro()
else:
self.help(request)
self.help(request, is_interactive=True)

def getline(self, prompt):
"""Read one line, using input() when appropriate."""
Expand All @@ -2084,10 +2085,12 @@ def getline(self, prompt):
self.output.flush()
return self.input.readline()

def help(self, request, is_cli=False):
def help(self, request, is_cli=False, is_interactive=False):
if isinstance(request, str):
request = request.strip()
if request == 'keywords': self.listkeywords()
if request == 'help':
self.helphelp(is_interactive=is_interactive)
elif request == 'keywords': self.listkeywords()
elif request == 'symbols': self.listsymbols()
elif request == 'topics': self.listtopics()
elif request == 'modules': self.listmodules()
Expand All @@ -2099,12 +2102,42 @@ def help(self, request, is_cli=False):
doc(eval(request), 'Help on %s:', output=self._output, is_cli=is_cli)
elif request in self.keywords: self.showtopic(request)
elif request in self.topics: self.showtopic(request)
elif request: doc(request, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output, is_cli=is_cli)
elif request:
doc(request, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output, is_cli=is_cli, is_interactive=is_interactive)
else: doc(str, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output, is_cli=is_cli)
elif isinstance(request, Helper): self()
elif isinstance(request, (Helper, type(builtins.help))):
self.helphelp(is_interactive=is_interactive)
Comment on lines +2108 to +2109

ZeroIntensity Oct 11, 2026

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Choose a reason Spam Abuse Off Topic Outdated Duplicate Resolved Low Quality

When Python is started without site initialization (-S), builtins.help isn't available, so this will raise an exception when pydoc.help is invoked manually. Let's use _sitebuiltins._Helper instead.
else: doc(request, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output, is_cli=is_cli)
self.output.write('\n')

def helphelp(self, is_interactive=False):
if is_interactive:
self.intro()
else:
pager(textwrap.dedent("""\

ZeroIntensity Oct 11, 2026

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Choose a reason Spam Abuse Off Topic Outdated Duplicate Resolved Low Quality

Calls to pager() need to be guarded by a self.output is None check, because we don't want to start the pager when output is being redirected. So, we want something like this instead:

help_text = textwrap.dedent(...)
if is_interactive:
    self.intro()
elif self._output is None:
    pager(help_text)
else:
    self.output.write(help_text)
help - Interactive Help
=======================

The built-in help function implements an interactive help utility. You
can make use of it in a few different ways:

* Calling help() with no arguments starts an interactive help session.

* The behavior of help(x) depends on the type of the argument:

* If x is a string, help(x) provides information about the given
topic. For example, help("class") will provide information about
the "class" keyword, and help("math.sqrt") will provide
information about the "math.sqrt" function.

* If x is a class or a built-in type, help(x) provides information
about that type. For example, help(str) will provide information
about the str type.

* Otherwise, help(x) provides information about x's type. For
example, help(42) will provide information about the int type.
"""))

def intro(self):
self.output.write(_introdoc())

Expand Down
4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions Lib/test/test_pydoc/test_pydoc.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -664,10 +664,10 @@ def test_builtin_on_metaclasses(self):
self.assertNotIn('Built-in subclasses', text)

def test_fail_help_cli(self):
elines = (missing_pattern % 'abd').splitlines()
elines = (missing_pattern % 'abd').splitlines(False)[:1]

ZeroIntensity Oct 11, 2026

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Choose a reason Spam Abuse Off Topic Outdated Duplicate Resolved Low Quality

Positional boolean arguments are a code smell because they're often unreadable. Could you change this (and other occurrences) to splitlines(keepends=False)?
with spawn_python("-c" "help()") as proc:
out, _ = proc.communicate(b"abd")
olines = out.decode().splitlines()[-9:-6]
olines = out.decode().splitlines(False)[-7:-6]
olines[0] = olines[0].removeprefix('help> ')
self.assertEqual(elines, olines)

Expand Down
2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2025-08-23-14-07-56.gh-issue-138094.U92SHS.rst
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
Removed potentially-misleading suggestions from the interactive :func:`help`

ZeroIntensity Oct 11, 2026

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Choose a reason Spam Abuse Off Topic Outdated Duplicate Resolved Low Quality

I think the dash is unnecessary here? Correct me if I'm wrong on this one.

Suggested change
Removed potentially-misleading suggestions from the interactive :func:`help`
Removed potentially misleading suggestions from the interactive :func:`help`

prompt. Patch by Adam Hartz.
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