Stop pydoc from running my Python program

Question

Following on "Windows 7 - pydoc from cmd", I have the following problem. I prepared a simple, docstring-documented hello.py "hello world" script:

""" This module prints Hello, world
    More documentation.
"""
print("Hello, world")

and saved it in C:\Python34\lib.

Then using Window's command-line, I changed the directory to C:\Python34\lib, and ran

pydoc <full path to hello.py>

My output is:

Hello, world
Help on module hello:

NAME
    hello

DESCRIPTION
    This module prints Hello, world
    More documentation.

FILE
    c:\python34\lib\hello.py

It's great that it printed the documentation, but first it ran the program.

How do I get it to NOT run the program, just print the documentation?

IIRC, That's not how it works ... pydoc (and a number of other auto-documentation tools e.g. sphinx) import the source and look for the __doc__ attributes that python adds to classes/functions, etc. The only tool that I know of which doesn't import the source is epydoc. That said, usually you can guard any statements that you don't want to execute in an if __name__ == '__main__': block. — mgilson
– mgilson, Commented Oct 17, 2015 at 19:05

falsetru · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-17 19:04:04Z

8

pydoc imports the module to be documented. So statements there are executed.

If you can modify the code, guard the print line with if __name__ == "__main__" so the line is executed only when it is executed directly, but not when it is imported:

""" This module prints Hello, world
    More documentation.
"""
if __name__ == "__main__":
    print("Hello, world")

answered Oct 17, 2015 at 19:04

falsetru

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3 Comments

nurettin Over a year ago

__name__ doesn't change whether I import the module or run it with pydoc. I can't find any info on what changes when pydoc is run.

falsetru Over a year ago

@nurettin, Let's say the file is abcd.py. Then, __name__ of the module is abcd if you import it or run it with pydoc.__name__ is __main__ if you run (not import) it with python directly. docs.python.org/library/__main__.html

nurettin Over a year ago

that's right, and it makes no difference whether we import or run with pydoc.

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