Create documentation comments

Last modified: 19 September 2022

Creating documentation comments for Python functions

To create documentation comment for a Python function

  1. Place the caret after the declaration of a function you want to document.

  2. Type opening triple quotes, and press Enter, or Space.

  3. Add meaningful description of parameters and return values.

tip

Mind the following:

  • Generation of docstrings on pressing Space after typing opening triple quotes only works when the checkbox Insert pair quote is cleared in the page Smart Keys of the editor settings.

  • If you rename a parameter of a function, PyCharm will correspondingly update the tag in documentation comment.

To create documentation comment for a Python function using intention action

  1. Place the caret somewhere within the function you want to document.

  2. Press Alt+Enter to show the available intention actions.

  3. Choose Insert documentation string stub:

    Intention action: Insert documentation stub

    PyCharm generates documentation comment stub according to docstring format, selected in the Python Integrated Tools page.

Example of Python comment

Consider the following function:

def handle(self, myParam1, myParam2):

Open settings Ctrl+Alt+S and navigate to Tools | Python Integrated Tools.

In the Docstring format dropdown, select Epytext:

Changing the type of docstrings

Then type the opening triple quotes and press Enter or Space. PyCharm generates a documentation comment stub in Epytext format:

'''
@param self:
@param myParam1:
@param myParam2:
@return:
'''

Go back to the Python Integrated Tools page in settings (Ctrl+Alt+S) and switch Docstring format to reStructuredText. Then type the opening triple quotes and press Enter or Space. PyCharm generates a documentation comment stub in reStructuredText format:

'''
:param self:
:param myParam1:
:param myParam2:
:return:
'''

See also

Procedures

Reference

External Links