What's the recommended way of adding a docstring for a dictionary parameter? I can see multiple line docstring examples here.
I need to document the input arguments to a function in the docstring. If it's a simple variable, I can use something like:
def func2(a=x, b = y):
""" fun2 takes two integers
Keyword arguments:
a -- refers to age (default 18)
b -- refers to experience (default 0)
"""
If we have dict passed as input argument to function:
def func3(**kwargs):
""" takes dictionary as input
<Here how to explain them - Is it like?>
kwargs['key1'] -- takes value1
<or simply>
key1 -- takes value1
"""
I generally use the Google docstring style, so a dictionary parameter would look like:
def func(a_dict):
"""Some function to do something to a dictionary.
Args:
a_dict (dict of str: int): Some mapping, I guess?
"""
...
A function that takes **kwargs (note: this is not quite the same as having a dictionary parameter), would look like:
def func(**kwargs):
"""Some function to do stuff to arbitrary keyword arguments.
Args:
**kwargs: Arbitrary keyword arguments.
Keyword Args:
<kwarg_name> int: A description
<kwarg_name_2> str: Another description
<...>
"""
...
If there are specific parameters that should be present (e.g. your key1), they should be separate, not rolled into **kwargs.
In Python 3.x, you can also use function annotations:
def func(a_dict: dict):
"""Some function to do something to a dictionary."""
...
From Python 3.5, you can be even more explicit using typing:
from typing import Mapping
def func(a_dict: Mapping[str, int]):
"""Some function to do something to a dictionary."""
...