On Fri, Nov 28, 2008 at 4:49 AM, Simon King <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Dear developers,
>
> I have a couple of basic methods (such as "save part of the attributes
> in some file" or "put some data on a to-do-list used by another
> method"). I wonder if their doc strings need examples, for the
> following reasons:
>
> 1. I think they are of internal use only, and a normal user doesn't
> even need to know about their existence. So, the user doesn't need to
> see an example for the basic method.
>
> 2. The methods are heavily used by high-level methods, so the basic
> methods are in fact tested by the doc tests of the high-level methods.
> But since they *are* tested, there is no need for a separate test of
> the basic methods.
>
> 3. A developer might care about the basic methods. But since the basic
> methods just comprise 5-10 lines, an example might not be needed. And
> I have comments in the code telling what the basic method does.
>
> So, I tend to have the following doc-string for a basic 'export'
> method used in a high-level method 'blah'
>  "Of internal use only. Export data to disk. Implicit test in 'blah'"
>
> What is the official opinion on that matter?

I would reject any patch with functions like that which aren't
doctested.

 -- William

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