PyCharm 2024.2 Help

Create documentation comments

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.

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 a Python documentation 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 double-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 double-quotes and press Enter or Space. PyCharm generates a documentation comment stub in reStructuredText format:

""" :param self: :param myParam1: :param myParam2: :return: """

You can use markup for text formatting, as well as substitutions, bulleted lists, links, code blocks, and tables:

Example of text formatting in a function docstring
Last modified: 11 October 2024