Functions and Methods parameters

@param p: ...

A description of the parameter p for a function or method.

@type p: ...

The expected type for the parameter p.

@return: ...

The return value for a function or method.

@rtype: ...

The type of the return value for a function or method.

@keyword p: ...

A description of the keyword parameter p.

@raise e: ...

A description of the circumstances under which a function or method raises exception e.

These tags can be used to specify attributes of parameters and return value of function and methods. These tags are usually put in the the docstring of the function to be documented.

@param fields should be used to document any explicit parameter (including the keyword parameter). @keyword fields should only be used for non-explicit keyword parameters:

def plant(seed, *tools, **options):
    """
    @param seed: The seed that should be planted.
    @param tools: Tools that should be used to plant the seed.
    @param options: Any extra options for the planting.

    @keyword dig_deep: Plant the seed deep under ground.
    @keyword soak: Soak the seed before planting it.
    """
    #[...]

Since the @type field allows for arbitrary text, it does not automatically create a crossreference link to the specified type, and is not written in fixed-width font by default. If you want to create a crossreference link to the type, or to write the type in a fixed-width font, then you must use inline markup:

def ponder(person, time):
    """
    @param person: Who should think.
    @type person: L{Person} or L{Animal}
    @param time: How long they should think.
    @type time: C{int} or C{float}
    """
    #[...]

Variables parameters

@ivar v: ...

A description of the class instance variable v.

@cvar v: ...

A description of the static class variable v.

@var v: ...

A description of the module variable v.

@type v: ...

The type of the variable v.

These tags are usually put in a module or class docstring. If the sources can be parsed by Epydoc it is also possible to document the variable in their own docstrings: see variable docstrings

Epydoc considers class variables the ones defined directly defined in the class body. A common Python idiom is to create instance variables settings their default value in the class instead of the constructor (hopefully if the default is immutable...).

If you want to force Epydoc to classify as instance variable one whose default value is set at class level, you can describe it using the tag @ivar in the context of a variable docstring:

class B:
    y = 42
    """@ivar: This is an instance variable."""

Properties parameters

@type: ...

The type of the property.

The @type tag can be attached toa property docstring to specify its type.

Grouping and Sorting

@group g: c1,...,cn

Organizes a set of related children of a module or class into a group. g is the name of the group; and c1,...,cn are the names of the children in the group. To define multiple groups, use multiple group fields.

@sort: c1,...,cn

Specifies the sort order for the children of a module or class. c1,...,cn are the names of the children, in the order in which they should appear. Any children that are not included in this list will appear after the children from this list, in alphabetical order.

These tags can be used to present groups of related items in a logical way. They apply to modules and classes docstrings.

For the @group and @sort tags, asterisks (*) can be used to specify multiple children at once. An asterisk in a child name will match any substring:

class widget(size, weight, age):
    """
    @group Tools: zip, zap, *_tool
    @group Accessors: get_*
    @sort: get_*, set_*, unpack_*, cut
    """
    #[...]

#{ Database access functions

def read(id):
    #[...]

def store(item):
    #[...]

def delete(id):
    #[...]

# groups can't be nested, so a closing marker is not required here.

#{ Web publish functions

def get(request):
    #[...]

def post(request):
    #[...]

#}

Notes and Warnings

@note: ...

A note about an object. Multiple note fields may be used to list separate notes.

@attention: ...

An important note about an object. Multiple attention fields may be used to list separate notes.

@bug: ...

A description of a bug in an object. Multiple bug fields may be used to report separate bugs.

Note

If any @bug field is used, the HTML writer will generate a the page bug-index.html, containing links to all the items tagged with the field.

@warning: ...

A warning about an object. Multiple warning fields may be used to report separate warnings.

Status

@version: ...

The current version of an object.

@todo [ver]: ...

A planned change to an object. If the optional argument ver is given, then it specifies the version for which the change will be made. Multiple todo fields may be used if multiple changes are planned.

Note

If any @todo field is used, the HTML writer will generate a the page todo-index.html, containing links to all the items tagged with the field.

@deprecated: ...

Indicates that an object is deprecated. The body of the field describe the reason why the object is deprecated.

@since: ...

The date or version when an object was first introduced.

@status: ...

The current status of an object.

@change: ...

A change log entry for this object.

@permission: ...

The object access permission, for systems such Zope/Plone supporting this concept. It may be used more than once to specify multiple permissions.

Formal Conditions

@requires: ...

A requirement for using an object. Multiple requires fields may be used if an object has multiple requirements.

@precondition: ...

A condition that must be true before an object is used. Multiple precondition fields may be used if an object has multiple preconditions.

@postcondition: ...

A condition that is guaranteed to be true after an object is used. Multiple postcondition fields may be used if an object has multiple postconditions.

@invariant: ...

A condition which should always be true for an object. Multiple invariant fields may be used if an object has multiple invariants.

Bibliographic Information

@author: ...

The author(s) of an object. Multiple author fields may be used if an object has multiple authors.

@organization: ...

The organization that created or maintains an object.

@copyright: ...

The copyright information for an object.

@license: ...

The licensing information for an object.

@contact: ...

Contact information for the author or maintainer of a module, class, function, or method. Multiple contact fields may be used if an object has multiple contacts.

Other fields

@summary: ...

A summary description for an object. This description overrides the default summary (which is constructed from the first sentence of the object's description).

@see: ...

A description of a related topic. see fields typically use documentation crossreference links or external hyperlinks that link to the related topic.