# Getting help for Julia functions

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [July 16, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086 "2024-07-16T04:42:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sn248](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sn248/32/210680_2.png) [@sn248](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sn248)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/1 "2024-07-16T04:42:44Z")

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Hi

I am a complete noob to the language (first post!) and I am coming from R programming language. I was wondering if there is any R style ‘help’ in the language. For example I am looking to understand more about the parameters of the `solve` function from `OrdinaryDiffEq` package, and usually in R I would do something like `?OrdinaryDiffEq::solve`.

I tried “solve” and “OrdinaryDiffEq.solve” in the REPL ( **in help mode** ), but I am not getting anything to show up.

Essentially, I am interested in supplying a vector of times when I want the ODE system solutions, instead of specifying a time-span (`tspan` argument in `solve` function). If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on how to do that, that will be great also.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![abraemer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/abraemer/32/51403_2.png) [@abraemer](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/abraemer)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 4:47am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/2 "2024-07-16T04:47:04Z")

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Usually typing `solve` in the help mode (i.e. typing `?solve` in the normal Julia REPL) should display the docstring. In your case you are looking for the `saveat` keyword option. Find the full docs here:

> **[Common Solver Options (Solve Keyword Arguments) · DifferentialEquations.jl](https://docs.sciml.ai/DiffEqDocs/stable/basics/common_solver_opts/)**
>
> Documentation for DifferentialEquations.jl.

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**Author:** ![sn248](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sn248/32/210680_2.png) [@sn248](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sn248)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/3 "2024-07-16T04:59:24Z")

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Thank you so much!

For some reason, `?solve` does not work bash terminal, but did work in VSCode.

Thanks also for the tip regarding `saveat`, that seems to work as expected.

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**Author:** ![sylvaticus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sylvaticus/32/203883_2.png) [@sylvaticus](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sylvaticus)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 5:05am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/4 "2024-07-16T05:05:14Z")

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Hello and welcome.  
Just to add that more in general the doc of Julia packages can be accessed either by using the HELP mode (typing the question mark in the REPL) and retrieve the specific element docstring, or by visiting the package github repository and look for the “doc” button, that normally points to a Documenter.jl generated site where on top of the docstring you may have tutorials, examples, and other documentation elements.

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**Author:** ![GunnarFarneback](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gunnarfarneback/32/1827_2.png) [@GunnarFarneback](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GunnarFarneback)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/5 "2024-07-16T05:41:22Z")

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> [@sn248](#):
>
> For some reason, `?solve` does not work bash terminal

Could it be that you copy and pasted `?solve`? For help mode to be entered you need to _type_ at least the leading question mark.

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**Author:** ![mikmoore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mikmoore/32/31109_2.png) [@mikmoore](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mikmoore)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/6 "2024-07-16T13:50:17Z")

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In addition to `?solve` (which should appear in the REPL as `help?> solve`), you can also use `@doc solve`.

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**Author:** ![PeterSimon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petersimon/32/25193_2.png) [@PeterSimon](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PeterSimon)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/getting-help-for-julia-functions/117086/7 "2024-07-16T14:04:19Z")

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Hi and welcome to Julia!  
As previously mentioned, sometimes you need to go to the package website to access more complete documentation than is supplied by the doc string available at the Julia REPL. See [this post](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkgonlinehelp-quickly-browse-package-documentation-web-sites-from-the-repl/83675) for a way to easily open the package website from the REPL.