function name + tab does not return docstring in IPython

Question

In IPython, I am used to write

function(

and then strike a tab, and get the contents of the docstring and a list of the named arguments. However, this stopped working since I installed IPython 2.0. Is there an explanation or a know fix?

score 58 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 03 '14 at 23:23

58

Oh, the shortcut is now shift+tab.

answered Apr 03 '14 at 23:23

dmvianna

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Works inside jupyter notebook, but sadly enough not inside ipython terminal... – Milo Wielondek Nov 05 '20 at 14:49

smci · Answer 2 · 2017-05-29T04:59:13.820

4

Shift-tab only works when you place the edit cursor inside or after the object. Not when it's at the start of the object. This gotcha is not documented anywhere...!

I filed jupyter issue Shift-Tab completion doesn't work when edit cursor is at the start of the object #1902

edited May 29 '17 at 04:59

answered Nov 17 '16 at 07:57

smci

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been wondering why none of my docstrings were showing up hahaha.. thanks – thomas.mac Aug 01 '18 at 01:52

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 14 '20 at 03:25

To display docstrings in Python one can use ? character as a shorthand.

You can place the ? character before or after (no space allowed) the object you are looking for docs.

To access the source code simply use ?? instead.

Source: Help and Documentation in IPython

function name + tab does not return docstring in IPython

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