Python DocTest Examples

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They’re basically little notes that you can add to your code to explain what it does or how to use it. But instead of just writing them in comments (which is fine), Python has a special syntax for creating these docstrings called triple quotes (“””). Here’s an example:

# This is a function that takes a number and returns its square
def my_function(x):
    """This function takes a number and returns its square."""
    
    # Do some math stuff here... (This comment is not necessary as it does not provide any additional information)
    
    # The following line calculates the square of the input number and assigns it to the variable "result"
    result = x ** 2
    
    # The return statement returns the value of "result" as the output of the function
    return result

Now, when you run this code in Python, it’ll print out the docstring for `my_function()`. This is called “doc testing” or “doctesting”, and it can be really helpful for understanding how to use a function. But that’s not all! Docstrings also have some other benefits:

1. They make your code more readable. If you add docstrings to your functions, people who are new to your codebase will be able to understand what each function does without having to dig through the code itself. This can save a lot of time and frustration for everyone involved! 2. Docstrings help with debugging. When something goes wrong in your code, you’ll often want to look at the docstring for that particular function or module to see if there are any hints about what might be causing the problem. If you don’t have a docstring, it can be much harder to figure out what’s going on! 3. Docstrings make your code more maintainable. When you add new features or fix bugs in your codebase, you’ll often need to update the docstrings as well. This helps ensure that everyone who uses your code knows how to use it correctly and consistently over time. They might seem like a small thing, but they can make a big difference in terms of readability, debugging, and maintainability. Give them a try next time you’re writing some code!

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