Python help function for assert

Question

help function isn't available for assert? Why?

>>> help(assert)
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    help(assert)
         ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Answer 1

To get help for keywords, you need to pass the string name of the keyword

>>> help('assert')
The "assert" statement
**********************

Assert statements are a convenient way to insert debugging assertions
into a program:

   assert_stmt ::= "assert" expression ["," expression]

The simple form, "assert expression", is equivalent to

   if __debug__:
       if not expression: raise AssertionError

The extended form, "assert expression1, expression2", is equivalent to

   if __debug__:
       if not expression1: raise AssertionError(expression2)

These equivalences assume that "__debug__" and "AssertionError" refer
to the built-in variables with those names.  In the current
implementation, the built-in variable "__debug__" is "True" under
normal circumstances, "False" when optimization is requested (command
line option "-O").  The current code generator emits no code for an
assert statement when optimization is requested at compile time.  Note
that it is unnecessary to include the source code for the expression
that failed in the error message; it will be displayed as part of the
stack trace.

Assignments to "__debug__" are illegal.  The value for the built-in
variable is determined when the interpreter starts.

You can only use help on objects that are functions, classes, modules, or methods.

>>> help(min)
Help on built-in function min in module builtins:

min(...)
    min(iterable, *[, default=obj, key=func]) -> value
    min(arg1, arg2, *args, *[, key=func]) -> value

    With a single iterable argument, return its smallest item. The
    default keyword-only argument specifies an object to return if
    the provided iterable is empty.
    With two or more arguments, return the smallest argument.

If you try to use help on keywords you'll get a syntax error since they are neither objects nor strings

>>> help(assert)
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> help(while)
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> help(if)
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

More details

Invoke the built-in help system. (This function is intended for interactive use.) If no argument is given, the interactive help system starts on the interpreter console. If the argument is a string, then the string is looked up as the name of a module, function, class, method, keyword, or documentation topic, and a help page is printed on the console. If the argument is any other kind of object, a help page on the object is generated.