Automated Python Documentation in README file

[!NOTE] Available on PyPI

What's this?

Automated docstring extraction and creation/update of documentation of python modules in the README File.

Why should I use it?

Because it's nice to have a quick overview of all the functions, classes and methods of your module documented in the README file ;-)

How does it work?

doc_to_md.py loops through all Python files in the Repository, and extracts the function calls & the corresponding short description from the docstrings. These are added to a dictionary and afterwards converted to a Markdown Table. Finally, the section Functions & Classes is appended / updated in the README File.

There are two options how to use it:
a) CI Pipeline
b) Python Package

a) include it in your CI Pipeline (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure Devops)

Check out this Step-by-step guide on how to integrate doc_to_readme in your Repository.

b) install & use the Python Package

pip install doc-to-readme

• Use within Python

import doc_to_md.doc_to_md as dtm

dtm.update_markdown_file(
    file="README.md",
    root_dir=None,              # Directory used as root for searching modules, defaults to folder containing README.md
    exclude_modules=None,       # List of modules to be excluded
    specified_modules=None,     # Only these modules will be included
    separate=True               # Create one table per module
)

• Command Line

python -m doc_to_md.doc_to_md -f "README.md" [-r ROOT_DIR] [-e EXCLUDE_MODULES] [-m SELECTED_MODULES] [--separated]

-r ROOT_DIR             # Directory used as root for searching modules, defaults to folder containing README.md
-e EXCLUDE_MODULES      # List of modules to be excluded
-m SELECTED_MODULES     # Only these modules will be included
--separated             # Create one table per module

Copyright © 2023 by Mirjam Ziselsberger
This code is free to use under the terms of the MIT license.

Functions & Classes

doc_to_md.py

loop_through_repo(
  file: str, 
  root_dir: str = None, 
  exclude_modules: Optional[Tuple[str, ...]] = None, 
  specified_modules: Optional[Tuple[str, ...]] = None
) -> None

add_summary_to_md(
  overview_dict: Dict[str, Optional[Union[str, Dict[str, str]]]], 
  markdown: str, 
  separate: bool = True
)

update_markdown_file(
  file: str = "../../README.md", 
  root_dir: str = None, 
  exclude_modules: Optional[Tuple[str, ...]] = (
    "test", 
    "functions_for_testing", 
    "classes_for_testing", 
    "doc_to_md"
  ), 
  specified_modules: Optional[Tuple[str, ...]] = None, 
  separate: bool = True
)

parse_through_file(file: str) -> Dict[str, Dict[str, str]]

test_dtm.py

LoopThroughRepo

setUp(self) -> None

test_loop_through_repo(self)

test_loop_through_repo_specified_modules(self)

test_loop_through_repo_exclude_modules(self)

Created with: doc_to_readme
MIT © 2023 Mirjam Ziselsberger

Last Update: 2024-12-14