# Suggestion for package docstrings

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** docstring\
**Created:** [December 6, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548 "2024-12-06T18:29:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eben60](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/eben60/32/13475_2.png) [@Eben60](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Eben60)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548/1 "2024-12-06T18:29:04Z")

</div>

```julia
"""
    Package MyPackage v$(pkgversion(MyPackage))

MyPackage does this and that, and this text can be the the same as the "About" on it's github page.

Docs under https://mypackageauthor.github.io/MyPackage.jl/
$(isnothing(get(ENV, "CI", nothing)) ? ("\n" * "Package local path: " * pathof(MyPackage)) : "")
"""
module MyPackage

# MyPackage contents
end # MyPackage

```

Now, on typing

```julia
help?> MyPackage

```

this will produce like following:

```julia
search: MyPackage 

  Package MyPackage v1.0.0

  MyPackage does this and that, and this text can be the the same as the "About" on it's github page.

  Docs under https://mypackageauthor.github.io/MyPackage.jl/

  Package local path: /Users/mypackageauthor/.julia/packages/MyPackage/kWCpa/src/MyPackage.jl

```

* * *

Many (majority?) of the packages do not provide the package docstring. Then, on help for package (like above), Julia would print the whole `Readme`. This is seldom really helpful, and especially if `Readme` is the actual full documentation, the output into the REPL can be overwhelming.

The docstring according to the template above is very easy to produce, and would inform the user on most basic things about the package. A Ctrl/Cmd click onto the link (in VSCode, at least) would immediately take you to the online docs for all further questions.

What do you think?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g-gundam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/g-gundam/32/47593_2.png) [@g-gundam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/g-gundam)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548/2 "2024-12-06T19:46:34Z")

</div>

> [@Eben60](#):
>
> What do you think?

I actually like the READMEs being printed for packages as long as they’re not too long, but a small message like this is good too.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [December 6, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548/3 "2024-12-06T22:00:05Z")

</div>

For packages that do not provide a docstring [PkgOnlineHelp](https://github.com/simonp0420/PkgOnlineHelp.jl) is a useful workaround.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g-gundam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/g-gundam/32/47593_2.png) [@g-gundam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/g-gundam)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 6:29am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/suggestion-for-package-docstrings/123548/4 "2024-12-07T06:29:00Z")

</div>

> [@PeterSimon](#):
>
> For packages that do not provide a docstring [PkgOnlineHelp](https://github.com/simonp0420/PkgOnlineHelp.jl) is a useful workaround.

Just a few days ago, I wrote a Perl script that does a very similar thing. I called it `jj` for Julia Jump, and:

- If you pass it a package name, it’ll open a browser tab to the github repo for that Julia package.
- If you pass it no args, and:
  - (you have a tty), use `fzf` to let you autocomplete a Julia package name.
  - (you don’t have a tty), use `dmenu` to let you autocomplete a Julia package name.

It’s kind of Linux/X11-centric, because that’s what I use, but it’s very similar in spirit to your PkgOnlinehelp.jl . I will definitely check your package out.

I imagine you use it a lot, because I use my own script a lot now that I have it.

Maybe I’ll share my own script later, but it’s kind of a quick and dirty hack, and I’d like to clean it up first.