David wrote:
Dear Tutors,
whenever I make use of the help() function, I have a good chance of
getting an error. I have not yet understood this tool very well.
Take the modules operator and random as examples. The former is
built-in, the latter not.
Do I wish to see the help files, I have to use a different syntax:
help(random)
help('operator')
I figured this by trial and error, and I am keen to find out when the
help() function is to be supplied with a string, and when no '' is
required. It certainly does not seem intuitive to me!
Many thanks,
David
As far as I know, the only difference between the two forms is that with
the quotes, you can get help on a module that has *not* been imported,
while if a module had been imported, you can leave off the quotes.
For those two modules, you need the quotes till you import them. I
don't see any difference between them, at least in :Python 2.6.2
For things that are really built-in, such as the function open(), you
can get help without importing anything, since it's already visible. So
you can say help(open), or help(property).
DaveA
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