Python built-in help documentation from the command line (without the interactive Python interpreter console)
helpy 
Python Built-In Help Documentation from the Command Line
Description
helpy displays built-in Python documentation from the command line without the need to use the interactive Python interpreter console. View documentation by Python module, class, method, function, or keyword.
Tested in cPython 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, and pypy 2.2 (Python 2.7.3). Documentation is from the Python interpreter version that is used to execute helpy
Install
Install with pip by entering the following command:
pip install helpy
or download and unpack the source repository, navigate to the top level directory in the repository, and enter:
python setup.py install
Usage
helpy <module,class,method,function,keyword>
Examples
Module Documentation
$ helpy sys
Help on built-in module sys:
NAME
sys
FILE
(built-in)
MODULE DOCS
http://docs.python.org/library/sys
DESCRIPTION
This module provides access to some objects used or maintained by the
interpreter and to functions that interact strongly with the interpreter.
Dynamic objects:
...
Class Documentation
$ helpy dict
Help on class dict in module __builtin__:
class dict(object)
| dict() -> new empty dictionary
| dict(mapping) -> new dictionary initialized from a mapping object's
| (key, value) pairs
| dict(iterable) -> new dictionary initialized as if via:
| d = {}
| for k, v in iterable:
| d[k] = v
| dict(**kwargs) -> new dictionary initialized with the name=value pairs
| in the keyword argument list. For example: dict(one=1, two=2)
|
| Methods defined here:
...
Method Documentation
$ helpy dict.update
Help on method_descriptor in dict:
dict.update = update(...)
D.update([E, ]**F) -> None. Update D from dict/iterable E and F.
If E present and has a .keys() method, does: for k in E: D[k] = E[k]
If E present and lacks .keys() method, does: for (k, v) in E: D[k] = v
In either case, this is followed by: for k in F: D[k] = F[k]
Function Documentation
$ helpy max
Help on built-in function max in module __builtin__:
max(...)
max(iterable[, key=func]) -> value
max(a, b, c, ...[, key=func]) -> value
With a single iterable argument, return its largest item.
With two or more arguments, return the largest argument.
Issue Reporting
Issue reporting is available on the GitHub repository.
Changes
1.0.1 - refactored help request code
1.0.0 - initial release