# Inconsistency of \`?\` to get help: syntax: invalid identifier name "?"

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [February 14, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260 "2021-02-14T16:48:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![samerb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/samerb/32/9242_2.png) [@samerb](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/samerb)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260/1 "2021-02-14T16:48:19Z")

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Sometimes I use `?` to get help on a function. For a given function called `f`, I type `?f` and then run the cell and it gives info for that function. But sometimes this doesn’t work. For example right now I have two different cells in a Jupyterlab where it works in one cell but not the other. If I type `?maximum` into one cell it gives me help but in another cell it says syntax: invalid identifier name “?”.

My Jupyterlab has a number of problems so maybe I just need to reinstall that or something.

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260/2 "2021-02-14T17:37:57Z")

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> [@samerb](#):
>
> For example right now I have two different cells in a Jupyterlab where it works in one cell but not the other. If I type `?maximum` into one cell it gives me help but in another cell it says syntax: invalid identifier name “?”.

`?` has to be the first non-whitespace character in the cell.

(You can also just put the cursor at an identifier and type shift-tab to get a pop-up docstring.)

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**Author:** ![Mason](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mason/32/2423_2.png) [@Mason](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mason)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260/3 "2021-02-14T20:00:49Z")

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In jupyter, I usually end up just using the `@doc` macro instead of `?`. It’s only a few more characters and doesn’t have the same limitations.

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**Author:** ![Ismam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ismam/32/26140_2.png) [@Ismam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Ismam)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 11:54am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260/4 "2022-09-27T11:54:27Z")

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Sorry, could you explain how exactly. I’ve tried this:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/f/5/f5707ad725f67d6f51419c0912ccf080f4c839c8.png)

The “?” is the first non-whitespace character.

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**Author:** ![nilshg](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/nilshg/32/2283_2.png) [@nilshg](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nilshg)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/inconsistency-of-to-get-help-syntax-invalid-identifier-name/55260/5 "2022-09-27T13:26:53Z")

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That’s because you’re not using IJulia but the VSCode Julia extension. Here’s what it looks like in VSCode with an IJulia kernel:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/d/c/dca044489290338cd980e2baa05315d65160be99.png)