[issue21625] Make help() beginner helpful when no PAGER or LESS variable

[Nagarajan]

Nagarajan  added the comment:

I would request us to think about a couple more options while this is under 
consideration...

Do we want to also add the flags -X and -F to the less options?

The -X flag gets less to show its output inline, instead of a separate screen. 
The advantage here is that users can now see the last viewed help page right 
above the prompt even after quitting help. It helps immensely to be able to see 
the help and write statements based on the help. The minor downside is that the 
last statements typed on the python prompt have now scrolled farther up.

The -F (or --quit-if-one-screen) flag exits helps automatically if the help 
contents fit less than one screen-full. This is only useful when used in 
conjunction with the -X flag. If we do decide to use the -X flag, then this 
flag becomes an obvious choice.

If we do choose to use these flags, the less command now becomes

less "-P?e(END) .(q to exit help) " -X --quit-if-one-screen --quit-at-eof

--
nosy: +nagarajan

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[issue21625] Make help() beginner helpful when no PAGER or LESS variable

[Zackery Spytz]

Change by Zackery Spytz :


--
keywords: +patch
nosy: +ZackerySpytz
nosy_count: 7.0 -> 8.0
pull_requests: +20657
stage: needs patch -> patch review
pull_request: https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21520

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[issue21625] Make help() beginner helpful when no PAGER or LESS variable

[Terry J. Reedy]

Terry J. Reedy  added the comment:

I recently opened Python in a Mac Terminal (bash) window, tried help(ob), and 
being a beginner in this situation, had the same terrible frustrating 
experience.  I am leaving this open to implement David Murray's suggestion and 
changed the title accordingly.

On Windows, in Command Prompt and Power Shell, a prompt appears when help 
output is done and the text remains.  This is the same as when one enters any 
other Python statement that produces output.  (The only difference is the 
intermediate paging.)  I think that this standard Python behavior, or something 
close, should be the default help behavior on all systems.  (It is on IDLE.)

--
nosy: +terry.reedy
stage:  -> needs patch
title: help()'s more-mode is frustrating -> Make help() beginner helpful when 
no PAGER or LESS variable
type:  -> enhancement

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