How do I export the output of Python's built-in help() function

Question

I\'ve got a python package which outputs considerable help text from: help(package)

I would like to export this help text to a file, in the format in w

Answer 1

pydoc already provides the needed feature, a very well-designed feature that all question-answering systems should have. The pydoc.Helper.init has an output object, all output being sent there. If you use your own output object, you can do whatever you want. For example:

class OUTPUT():

def __init__(self):
    self.results = []
def write(self,text):
    self.results += [text]
def flush(self):
    pass
def print_(self):
    for x in self.results: print(x)
def return_(self):
    return self.results
def clear_(self):
    self.results = []

when passed as

O = OUTPUT() # Necessarily to remember results, but see below.

help = pydoc.Helper(O)

will store all results in the OUTPUT instance. Of course, beginning with O = OUTPUT() is not the best idea (see below). render_doc is not the central output point; output is. I wanted OUTPUT so I could keep large outputs from disappearing from the screen using something like Mark Lutz' "More". A different OUTPUT would allow you to write to files.

You could also add a "return" to the end of the class pydoc.Helper to return the information you want. Something like:

if self.output_: return self.output_

should work, or

if self.output_: return self.output.return_()

All of this is possible because pydoc is well-designed. It is hidden because the definition of help leaves out the input and output arguments.