On 7 September 2010 12:37, Anders Logg <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Sep 07, 2010 at 12:20:09PM +0200, Kristian Ølgaard wrote: >> On 7 September 2010 11:04, Anders Logg <[email protected]> wrote: >> > On Mon, Sep 06, 2010 at 05:56:13PM +0200, Kristian Ølgaard wrote: >> >> On 6 September 2010 17:24, Johan Hake <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > On Monday September 6 2010 08:13:44 Anders Logg wrote: >> >> >> On Mon, Sep 06, 2010 at 08:08:10AM -0700, Johan Hake wrote: >> >> >> > On Monday September 6 2010 05:47:27 Anders Logg wrote: >> >> >> > > On Mon, Sep 06, 2010 at 12:19:03PM +0200, Kristian Ølgaard wrote: >> >> >> > > > > Do we have any functionality in place for handling >> >> >> > > > > documentation >> >> >> > > > > that should be automatically generated from the C++ interface >> >> >> > > > > and >> >> >> > > > > documentation that needs to be added later? >> >> >> > > > >> >> >> > > > No, not really. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > ok. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > > > I assume that the documentation we write in the C++ header >> >> >> > > > > files >> >> >> > > > > (like Mesh.h) will be the same that appears in Python using >> >> >> > > > > help(Mesh)? >> >> >> > > > >> >> >> > > > Yes and no, the problem is that for instance overloaded methods >> >> >> > > > will >> >> >> > > > only show the last docstring. >> >> >> > > > So, the Mesh.__init__.__doc__ will just contain the Mesh(std::str >> >> >> > > > file_name) docstring. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > It would not be difficult to make the documentation extraction >> >> >> > > script >> >> >> > > we have (in fenics-doc) generate the docstrings module and just >> >> >> > > concatenate all constructor documentation. We are already doing the >> >> >> > > parsing so spitting out class Foo: """ etc would be easy. Perhaps >> >> >> > > that >> >> >> > > is an option. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > There might be other overloaded methods too. We might try to setle >> >> >> > on a >> >> >> > format for these methods, or make this part of the 1% we need to >> >> >> > handle >> >> >> > our self. >> >> >> >> >> >> ok. Should also be fairly easy to handle. >> >> > >> >> > Ok. >> >> > >> >> >> > > > > But in some special cases, we may want to go in and handle >> >> >> > > > > documentation for special cases where the Python documentation >> >> >> > > > > needs to be different from the C++ documentation. So there >> >> >> > > > > should >> >> >> > > > > be two different sources for the documentation: one that is >> >> >> > > > > generated automatically from the C++ header files, and one that >> >> >> > > > > overwrites or adds documentation for special cases. Is that the >> >> >> > > > > plan? >> >> >> > > > >> >> >> > > > The plan is currently to write the docstrings by hand for the >> >> >> > > > entire >> >> >> > > > dolfin module. One of the reasons is that we rename/ignores >> >> >> > > > functions/classes in the *.i files, and if we we try to automate >> >> >> > > > the >> >> >> > > > docstring generation I think we should make it fully automatic >> >> >> > > > not >> >> >> > > > just part of it. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > If we can make it 99% automatic and have an extra file with special >> >> >> > > cases I think that would be ok. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Agree. >> >> >> >> Yes, but we'll need some automated testing to make sure that the 1% >> >> does not go out of sync with the code. >> >> Most likely the 1% can't be handled because it is relatively important >> >> (definitions in *.i files etc.). >> > >> > I imagine that "1%" will be the same as the "1%" that we have special >> > treatment for in the SWIG files anyway, so it makes sense those need >> > special treatment. >> >> I think that we can automate that last 1% too. >> >> > So the idea would be: >> > >> > 1. Document the C++ code in the C++ header files >> > 2. Document the extra Python code in the Python files (?) >> > 3. Document the extra SWIG stuff in a special file >> >> All Python docstrings should be located where the code is. >> In the Python layer (like dolfin/fem.py), or in the extended methods >> in the *.i files for the dolfin/cpp.py module. >> >> We then need to figure out how to change the syntax/name correctly >> such that std::vector, double* etc. are mapped to the correct Python >> arguments/return values, and how to handle the *example* code. >> >> >> >> > > > Also, we will need to change the syntax in all *example* code of >> >> >> > > > the >> >> >> > > > docstrings. Maybe it can be done, but I'll need to give it some >> >> >> > > > more >> >> >> > > > careful thought. We've already changed the approach a few times >> >> >> > > > now, >> >> >> > > > so I really like the next try to close to our final >> >> >> > > > implementation. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > I agree. :-) >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > > > Another thing to discuss is the possibility of using Doxygen to >> >> >> > > > > extract the documentation. We currently have our own script >> >> >> > > > > since >> >> >> > > > > (I assume) Doxygen does not have a C++ --> reST converter. Is >> >> >> > > > > that >> >> >> > > > > correct? >> >> >> > > > >> >> >> > > > I don't think Doxygen has any such converter, but there exist a >> >> >> > > > project http://github.com/michaeljones/breathe >> >> >> > > > which makes it possible to use xml output from Doxygen in much >> >> >> > > > the >> >> >> > > > same way as we use autodoc for the Python module. I had a quick >> >> >> > > > go at >> >> >> > > > it but didn't like the result. No links on the index pages to >> >> >> > > > function etc. So what we do now is better, but perhaps it would >> >> >> > > > be a >> >> >> > > > good idea to use Doxygen to extract the docstrings for all >> >> >> > > > classes >> >> >> > > > and functions, I tried parsing the xml output in the >> >> >> > > > test/verify_cpp_ >> >> >> > > > ocumentation.py script and it should be relatively >> >> >> > > > simple to get the docstrings since these are stored as >> >> >> > > > attributes of >> >> >> > > > classes/functions. >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > > Perhaps an idea would be to use Doxygen for parsing and then have >> >> >> > > our >> >> >> > > own script that works with the XML output from Doxygen? >> >> >> > >> >> >> > I did not know we allready used Doxygen to extract information about >> >> >> > class structure from the headers. >> >> >> >> >> >> I thought it was you who implemented the Doxygen documentation >> >> >> extraction? >> >> > >> >> > Duh... I mean that I did not know we used it in fenics_doc, in >> >> > verify_cpp_documentation.py. >> >> >> >> We don't. I wrote this script to be able to test the documentation in >> >> *.rst files against dolfin. >> >> Basically, I parse all files and keep track of the classes/functions >> >> which are defined in dolfin and try to match those up against the >> >> definitions in the documentation (and vise versa) to catch >> >> missing/obsolete documentation. >> >> >> >> >> > What are the differences between using the XML from Doxygen to also >> >> >> > extract the documentation, and the approach we use today? >> >> >> >> >> >> Pros (of using Doxygen): >> >> >> >> >> >> - Doxygen is developed by people that presumably are very good at >> >> >> extracting docs from C++ code >> >> >> >> >> >> - Doxygen might handle some corner cases we can't handle? >> >> >> >> Definitely, and we don't have to maintain it. >> > >> > We would need to maintain the script that extracts data from the >> > Doxygen-generated XML files. >> > >> >> >> Cons (of using Doxygen): >> >> >> >> >> >> - Another dependency >> >> > >> >> > Which we already have. >> >> > >> >> >> - We still need to write a script to parse the XML >> >> > >> >> > We should be able to ust the xml parser in docstringgenerator.py. >> >> > >> >> >> - The parsing of /// stuff from C++ code is very simple >> >> > >> >> > Yes, and this might be just fine. But if it grows we might consider >> >> > using >> >> > Doxygen. >> >> >> >> But some cases are not handled correctly already (nested classes etc.) >> >> so I vote for Doxygen. >> > >> > Not that I'm insisting on not using Doxygen, but isn't it quite rare >> > that we use nested classes? I think we decided at some point that we >> > wanted to avoid it for some other reason. I don't remember which but >> > it might have been a SWIG problem. >> >> Look at >> http://www.fenics.org/newdoc/programmers-reference/cpp/function/Function.html >> as a user I would be confused by LocalScratch and GatherScratch. > > Those can be easily fixed by letting the script stop parsing when it > finds "private:".
OK, and if we are sure that no other nested classes are present in DOLFIN I guess things should be fine. >> The documentation here is also rather confusing, yes we can fix it, >> but similar cases will arise in the future. >> >> http://www.fenics.org/newdoc/programmers-reference/cpp/mesh/MeshPrimitive.html > > That looks strange because Andre has used an arbitrary mix of "//" and > "///" in his comments. Don't blame my script for that. :-) Alright alright, I'll never question the almighty generate_cpp_documentation.py script again. :) In light of the above and the Doxygen line break issue, maybe it's best to use your script as a first try? We just need to break it up in parsing (intermediate representation), modifying (C++ and Python syntax) and writing stages (dump in respective folders in the documentation) and settle on the intermediate representation such that we can easily switch to a Doxygen parser in case we decide to. Kristian > -- > Anders > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~fenics Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~fenics More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
