format-docstring 0.4.0

A Python formatter to wrap/adjust docstring lines

format-docstring

A Python formatter to automatically format NumPy-style and Google-style docstrings.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Overview
• 2. Before vs After Examples
  • 2.1. NumPy-style docstrings
  • 2.2. Google-style docstrings
• 3. Special Formatting Rules
  • 3.1. NumPy-style docstrings
  • 3.2. Google-style docstrings
• 4. Installation
• 5. Usage
  • 5.1. Command Line Interface
  • 5.2. Pre-commit Hook
  • 5.3. Opting Out of Formatting
• 6. Configuration
  • 6.1. Command-Line Options
  • 6.2. Usage Examples
  • 6.3. pyproject.toml Configuration
• 7. Caveat

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1. Overview

format-docstring is a tool that automatically formats and wraps docstring content in Python files and Jupyter notebooks.

Feature	format-docstring	docformatter	pydocstringformatter	Ruff	Black
Docstring wrapping	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Compatible with line length linter (E501)	✅	❌	❌	N/A	N/A
Fixes common docstring typos	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

For stronger docstring checks, use format-docstring together with pydoclint. format-docstring handles formatting and wrapping, while pydoclint checks docstring completeness and consistency with function signatures.

2. Before vs After Examples

These examples show the same kinds of cleanup in the two supported docstring styles. Use --docstring-style numpy for NumPy-style docstrings and --docstring-style google for Google-style docstrings.

2.1. NumPy-style docstrings

NumPy-style docstrings use section titles followed by underline rows. Signature lines are written as name : type, and descriptions are indented under the signature line.

Long summaries and descriptions are wrapped.

def load_records(path, limit=100):
-    """Load records from disk and normalize every field before returning the resulting table.
+    """
+    Load records from disk and normalize every field before returning the
+    resulting table.

    Parameters
    ----------
-    path : str
-        Path to a CSV file that may be local or remote and may include query parameters that make the line too long.
-    limit : int
-        Maximum number of rows to read before validation and normalization run.
+    path : str
+        Path to a CSV file that may be local or remote and may include query
+        parameters that make the line too long.
+    limit : int
+        Maximum number of rows to read before validation and normalization
+        run.

    Returns
    -------
    list[dict[str, str]]
-        Normalized rows ready for downstream processing or serialization.
+        Normalized rows ready for downstream processing or serialization.
    """

Known section names and signature spacing are canonicalized.

def resize(image):
    """
    Resize an image.

-    ParaMEter
-    ---
+    Parameters
+    ----------
    image : ArrayLike
        Input image.

-    ReTurn
-    ----------
+    Returns
+    -------
    ArrayLike
        Resized image.
    """

Default value declarations are standardized.

def connect():
    """
    Parameters
    ----------
-    retries : int default 3
+    retries : int, default=3
        Number of attempts.
-    timeout : float, default is 1.5
+    timeout : float, default=1.5
        Timeout in seconds.
    """

Single backticks in prose are converted to rST inline literals.

def parse(payload):
    """
-    Parse `payload` into a normalized mapping.
+    Parse ``payload`` into a normalized mapping.

    Parameters
    ----------
    payload : dict
-        Input with `id` and `value` keys.
+        Input with ``id`` and ``value`` keys.
    """

Parameters and returns are synchronized from the real signature.

def summarize(name: str, retries: int = 3) -> tuple[int, str]:
    """
    Summarize a job.

    Parameters
    ----------
-    name : object
+    name : str
        Job name.
-    retries : int, optional
+    retries : int, default=3
        Retry count.

    Returns
    -------
-    float
+    int
        Number of processed rows.
    str
        Human-readable status.
    """

2.2. Google-style docstrings

Google-style docstrings use colon-ended section headers. Signature lines keep the first description sentence inline as name (type): description, and continuation lines are indented below the description.

Long summaries and descriptions are wrapped.

def load_records(path, limit=100):
-    """Load records from disk and normalize every field before returning the resulting table.
+    """Load records from disk and normalize every field before returning the
+    resulting table.

    Args:
-        path (str): Path to a CSV file that may be local or remote and may include query parameters that make the line too long.
-        limit (int): Maximum number of rows to read before validation and normalization run.
+        path (str): Path to a CSV file that may be local or remote and may
+            include query parameters that make the line too long.
+        limit (int): Maximum number of rows to read before validation and
+            normalization run.

    Returns:
-        list[dict[str, str]]: Normalized rows ready for downstream processing or serialization.
+        list[dict[str, str]]: Normalized rows ready for downstream processing
+            or serialization.
    """

Known section names and signature spacing are canonicalized.

def resize(image):
    """
    Resize an image.

-    ParaMEter:
-        image(ArrayLike):Input image.
+    Args:
+        image (ArrayLike): Input image.

-    ReTurn:
-        ArrayLike: Resized image.
+    Returns:
+        ArrayLike: Resized image.
    """

Default value declarations are standardized.

def connect():
    """
    Args:
-        retries (int, default 3): Number of attempts.
-        timeout (float, default is 1.5): Timeout in seconds.
+        retries (int, default=3): Number of attempts.
+        timeout (float, default=1.5): Timeout in seconds.
    """

Single backticks in prose are converted to rST inline literals.

def parse(payload):
    """
-    Parse `payload` into a normalized mapping.
+    Parse ``payload`` into a normalized mapping.

    Args:
-        payload (dict): Input with `id` and `value` keys.
+        payload (dict): Input with ``id`` and ``value`` keys.
-            Use `strict` mode for validation.
+            Use ``strict`` mode for validation.
    """

Parameters and returns are synchronized from the real signature.

def summarize(name: str, retries: int = 3) -> tuple[int, str]:
    """Summarize a job.

    Args:
-        name (object): Job name.
+        name (str): Job name.
-        retries (int, optional): Retry count.
+        retries (int, default=3): Retry count.

    Returns:
-        status (float): Number of processed rows.
-        label (str): Human-readable status.
+        tuple[int, str]: Number of processed rows. label (str):
+            Human-readable status.
    """

3. Special Formatting Rules

format-docstring assumes docstrings are already close to NumPy or Google style. These examples show the extra rules applied around structure, protected content, and source-signature sync.

3.1. NumPy-style docstrings

Protected content keeps its shape. Tables, doctest prompts, fenced code, literal blocks introduced by ::, and bullet lists are not reflowed. Prose around those blocks still wraps normally.

"""
-Use this formula before processing the records because the surrounding prose is long enough to wrap::
+Use this formula before processing the records because the surrounding prose
+is long enough to wrap::

        total = alpha + beta
        ratio = total / count

Parameters
----------
records : list[dict[str, str]]
    Input records.
"""

Known sections are parsed, and custom sections are kept. Recognized section titles such as Parameters, Returns, Yields, Raises, Examples, and Notes are canonicalized. Unknown underlined sections remain custom sections, and their prose is wrapped instead of being parsed as parameter signatures.

def work():
    """
-    argument
-    --------
+    Parameters
+    ----------
    value : int
        Value to process.

-    Todo
-    ----
-    Keep this custom section, but wrap its prose normally when it exceeds the configured line length.
+    Todo
+    ----
+    Keep this custom section, but wrap its prose normally when it exceeds the
+    configured line length.
    """

Tuple returns can stay split across multiple signature lines. When the docstring already documents tuple elements as separate return entries, NumPy formatting syncs each element from the real return annotation.

def compute() -> tuple[int, str]:
    """
    Returns
    -------
-    float
+    int
        Row count.
    str
        Status message.
    """

Raises entries are treated as signatures. Exception names stay untouched; only their descriptions wrap.

"""
Raises
------
ValueError
-    Raised when the payload is missing a required key and the caller asked for strict validation.
+    Raised when the payload is missing a required key and the caller asked for
+    strict validation.
"""

Class attributes can be synchronized too. Class docstrings can use annotated assignments and type comments as the source of truth for Attributes.

class Config:
    """
    Attributes
    ----------
-    retries : int, optional
+    retries : int, default=3
        Retry count.
    """

    retries = 3  # type: int

3.2. Google-style docstrings

Protected content keeps its shape. Tables, doctest prompts, fenced code, literal blocks introduced by ::, and Python-like code in Examples: are not reflowed. Prose around those blocks still wraps normally.

"""
-Use this formula before processing the records because the surrounding prose is long enough to wrap::
+Use this formula before processing the records because the surrounding prose
+is long enough to wrap::

        total = alpha + beta
        ratio = total / count

Args:
    records (list[dict[str, str]]): Input records.
"""

Custom section boundaries are indentation-sensitive. Known headers such as Args:, Returns:, Raises:, and Examples: are canonicalized. Unknown peer-level headers after summary content are treated as custom sections, so their body wraps as prose instead of as argument descriptions.

def work():
    """
    Do work.

-    Arguments:
+    Args:
        value: Value to process.

    Todo:
-        Keep this custom section, but wrap its prose normally when it exceeds the configured line length.
+        Keep this custom section, but wrap its prose normally when it exceeds
+        the configured line length.
    """

If the first content line is an unknown Name: header, it is treated as summary text rather than promoted to a custom section. That protects compact Google summaries from being misclassified.

Examples: has special boundary rules. Indented text that looks like a section header can be doctest output. A real section boundary must return to the same or lower indentation as the active Examples: header.

"""
Examples:
    >>> print("Args:")
    Args:
    >>> print("done")
    done

Args:
    value: Real argument description.
"""

Returns and yields describe one value. Google style does not split tuple returns into separate return-variable rows. If a tuple annotation is present, the formatter syncs the tuple type into one Returns: entry and keeps the old text as description.

def compute() -> tuple[int, str]:
    """
    Returns:
-        count (float): Row count.
-        status (str): Status message.
+        tuple[int, str]: Row count. status (str): Status message.
    """

Class attributes can be synchronized too. Google Attributes: entries use the same source-signature policy as Args:.

class Config:
    """
    Attributes:
-        retries (int, optional): Retry count.
+        retries (int, default=3): Retry count.
    """

    retries = 3  # type: int

4. Installation

pip install format-docstring

5. Usage

5.1. Command Line Interface

For Python files:

format-docstring path/to/file.py
format-docstring path/to/directory/

# Format Google-style docstrings
format-docstring --docstring-style google path/to/file.py
format-docstring --docstring-style google path/to/directory/

For Jupyter notebooks:

format-docstring-jupyter path/to/notebook.ipynb
format-docstring-jupyter path/to/directory/

# Format Google-style docstrings in notebooks
format-docstring-jupyter --docstring-style google path/to/notebook.ipynb
format-docstring-jupyter --docstring-style google path/to/directory/

5.2. Pre-commit Hook

To use format-docstring as a pre-commit hook, add this to your .pre-commit-config.yaml:

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/jsh9/format-docstring
    rev: <LATEST_VERSION>
    hooks:
      - id: format-docstring
        name: Format docstrings in .py files
        args: [--docstring-style=numpy, --line-length=79]
      - id: format-docstring-jupyter
        name: Format docstrings in .ipynb files
        args: [--docstring-style=numpy, --line-length=79]

For Google-style docstrings, use --docstring-style=google in the hook args.

Then install the pre-commit hook:

pre-commit install

5.3. Opting Out of Formatting

Add a comment containing no-format-docstring on the same line as the closing triple quotes to prevent the formatter from touching that docstring: """ ... """ # no-format-docstring.

You can combine this "no-format-docstring" with other directives like "noqa".

Tip: If you only want to keep specific formatter changes inside a docstring, first run format-docstring, accept the parts you like, revert the edits you dislike, and then add an inline # no-format-docstring comment so future runs leave that docstring untouched.

6. Configuration

6.1. Command-Line Options

Option	Default	Description
--line-length INTEGER	79	Maximum line length for wrapping docstrings.
--docstring-style CHOICE	numpy	Docstring style to target, either numpy or google. This selects the style to format, not a converter between styles.
--fix-rst-backticks BOOL	True	Automatically fix single backticks to double backticks per rST syntax. Pass False to disable this.
--include-arg-types BOOL	True	Include argument type hints in parameter docstrings. Pass False to remove them from structured arg and attribute signature lines; defaults must also be disabled.
--include-arg-defaults BOOL	True	Include argument defaults in parameter docstrings. Pass False to remove explicit defaults and optional markers from structured arg and attribute signature lines. Requires argument types.
--include-return-and-yield-types BOOL	True	Include type hints in Returns and Yields docstrings. Pass False to remove them from Google-style return/yield descriptions. NumPy style does not allow False.
--verbose CHOICE	default	Logging detail level. default keeps the existing behaviour; diff prints unified diffs when rewrites happen.
--exclude TEXT	\.git|\.tox|\.pytest_cache	Regex pattern to exclude files/directories.
--config PATH	None	Path to a pyproject.toml config file. If not specified, the tool automatically searches for pyproject.toml in parent directories. Command-line options take precedence over config file settings.
--version	N/A	Show version information.
--help	N/A	Show help message.

6.2. Usage Examples

# Format a single file with default settings
format-docstring my_module.py

# Format all Python files in a directory with custom line length
format-docstring --line-length 72 src/

# Format Google-style docstrings
format-docstring --docstring-style google src/

# Format Jupyter notebooks excluding certain directories
format-docstring-jupyter --exclude "\.git|\.venv|__pycache__" notebooks/

# Format Google-style docstrings in notebooks
format-docstring-jupyter --docstring-style google notebooks/

# Preview changes with unified diffs
format-docstring --verbose diff src/

# Use a specific config file
format-docstring --config path/to/pyproject.toml src/

# CLI options override config file settings
format-docstring --config pyproject.toml --line-length 100 src/

# Disable backtick fixing
format-docstring --fix-rst-backticks=False my_module.py

# Omit argument defaults, including optional markers
format-docstring --include-arg-defaults=False src/

# Omit Google-style return/yield type text when annotations carry the types
format-docstring --docstring-style google --include-return-and-yield-types=False src/

6.3. pyproject.toml Configuration

You can configure default values under [tool.format_docstring] in pyproject.toml. CLI arguments override these settings. The config loader accepts either underscore keys, such as line_length, or hyphenated keys, such as line-length.

[tool.format_docstring]
line_length = 79
docstring_style = "numpy"
fix_rst_backticks = true
include_arg_types = true
include_arg_defaults = true
include_return_and_yield_types = true
exclude = "\\.git|\\.venv|__pycache__"
verbose = "default"  # or "diff" to print unified diffs

For Google-style docstrings that omit argument types/defaults and return/yield types:

[tool.format_docstring]
docstring_style = "google"
line_length = 79
fix_rst_backticks = true
include_arg_types = false
include_arg_defaults = false
include_return_and_yield_types = false

Available options:

• line_length / line-length (int): maximum line length for wrapping docstrings. Default: 79.
• docstring_style / docstring-style (str): target docstring style, either "numpy" or "google". Default: "numpy".
• fix_rst_backticks / fix-rst-backticks (bool): whether to convert single backticks in prose to double backticks per rST syntax. Default: true.
• include_arg_types / include-arg-types (bool): whether to include argument type hints in parameter docstrings. Default: true. If this is false, include_arg_defaults must also be false.
• include_arg_defaults / include-arg-defaults (bool): whether to include argument defaults in parameter docstrings. Default: true. This requires include_arg_types = true. When set to false, explicit defaults and optional markers are removed from structured signatures, including compact or extra-spaced forms such as ,optional and , optional. For example, x : int, optional becomes x : int and x (int, optional): becomes x (int):.
• include_return_and_yield_types / include-return-and-yield-types (bool): whether to include return and yield type hints in docstrings. Default: true. Setting this to false is supported only with Google style.
• exclude (str): regex pattern used to skip files or directories. Default: "\\.git|\\.tox|\\.pytest_cache".
• verbose (str): logging detail level, either "default" or "diff". Use "diff" to print unified diffs when rewrites happen.

The tool searches for pyproject.toml starting from the target file/directory and walking up the parent directories until one is found.

7. Caveat

This tool assumes the docstrings are written in mostly the correct format, because it needs those formatting cues (such as section headers and ------) to parse docstrings.

If the docstrings are far from perfectly formatted, it's recommended that you use AI coding assistants to rewrite the docstrings first.