Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language with a vast standard library of built-in functions, modules, and classes. While Python is generally easy to read and learn, it can still be quite challenging for beginners to navigate and fully understand all of its features.
Fortunately, Python has a built-in function called help() that can help programmers better understand the different Python functions, modules, and classes. In this article, we will explore the help() function and its capabilities, along with some examples to demonstrate how it works.
help() function?The help() function is a built-in function in Python that provides an interactive way to obtain documentation on various aspects of the Python programming language. By default, help() displays the documentation for the current Python environment, but it can also be used to display documentation for specific Python modules, classes, and functions.
When called with no arguments, help() opens up an interactive help system in the Python interpreter, which provides a command-line interface for searching and displaying documentation. From here, you can enter a query to display the relevant documentation. For example, if you wanted to know more about the print() function, you could simply enter print() into the help() prompt, and it would display the documentation for the print() function.
help() FunctionTo use the help() function in Python, simply call it with the object or topic you want to learn more about. For example, to display documentation on the print() function, you can simply type help(print) in the Python interpreter. This will display the documentation for the print() function.
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>>> help(print)
Help on built-in function print in module builtins:
print(...)
print(value, ..., sep=' ', end='\n', file=sys.stdout, flush=False)
Prints the values to a stream, or to sys.stdout by default.
Optional keyword arguments:
file: a file-like object (stream); defaults to the current sys.stdout.
sep: string inserted between values, default a space.
end: string appended after the last value, default a newline.
flush: whether to forcibly flush the stream.
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As you can see, the help() function provides a detailed description of the print() function, along with the various arguments it takes and what each argument does.
help() on Python ModulesIn addition to functions, you can also use the help() function to obtain documentation on Python modules. For example, if you wanted to know more about the math module, you can simply type help(math) in the Python interpreter.
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>>> import math
>>> help(math)
Help on module math:
NAME
math
MODULE REFERENCE
https://docs.python.org/3/library/math.html
The following documentation is automatically generated from the Python
source files. It may be incomplete, incorrect or include features that
are considered implementation detail and may vary between Python
implementations. When in doubt, consult the module reference at the
location listed above.
DESCRIPTION
This module provides access to the mathematical functions
defined by the C standard.
FUNCTIONS
acos(...)
acosh(...)
asin(...)
asinh(...)
atan(...)
atan2(...)
atanh(...)
ceil(...)
comb(...)
copysign(...)
cos(...)
cosh(...)
degrees(...)
dist(...)
erf(...)
erfc(...)
exp(...)
expm1(...)
fabs(...)
factorial(...)
floor(...)
fmod(...)
frexp(...)
fsum(...)
gamma(...)
gcd(...)
hypot(...)
isclose(...)
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