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POExtracting "extra" docstrings from Python code?
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copied!<p>Python docstrings that immediately follows the declaration of a class or function are placed in the <code>__doc__</code> attribute.</p> <p>The Question: How does one extract additional "internal" docstrings that occur later on in a function?</p> <p>Update: Such literal statements are elided by the compiler. Could I perhaps get to them (and their line number) via the AST?</p> <hr> <p>Why do I ask?</p> <p>I've had a (not fully baked) idea to use such "internal" docstrings to delineate Given/When/Then sections of an Agile Scenario:</p> <pre><code>def test_adding(): """Scenario: Adding two numbers""" adder = Adder() """When I add 2 and 3""" result = adder.add(2, 3) """Then the result is 5""" assert result == 5 </code></pre> <p>By extracting the docstrings, the test-running framework could generate output like this:</p> <pre><code>Scenario: Adding two numbers When I add 2 and 3 (PASS) Then the result is 5 (FAIL) AssertionError Traceback ... </code></pre> <p>I think this would be more concise than the approach taken in <a href="http://pypi.python.org/pypi/behave" rel="nofollow">Behave</a>, <a href="https://github.com/rlisagor/freshen" rel="nofollow">Freshen</a>, <a href="http://packages.python.org/lettuce/tutorial/simple.html" rel="nofollow">Lettuce</a>, <a href="http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pycukes/0.1.2" rel="nofollow">PyCukes</a>, which require defining a separate function for each step. I don't like having to repeat the text of the step as a function name (<code>@When("I add numbers") def add_numbers()</code>). But unlike a plain unit test, the docstrings will add the ability to print out a business-readable scenario for reference.</p>

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