Writing Docstrings

Your docstrings are the single biggest input to your API reference. Great Docs renders them through Quarto, which means everything you can do in a .qmd file (Markdown formatting, callouts, tables, executable code cells) also works inside a docstring. A well-written docstring becomes a polished reference page with almost no extra effort; a thin or poorly structured one leaves your users guessing.

This page covers how to structure docstrings so that Great Docs can extract the most value from them: which format to choose, what sections are available, how to embed live examples, and how to use Great Docs directives to control what gets documented.

Choosing a Docstring Format

Great Docs supports two widely used docstring conventions: NumPy style and Google style. Both produce the same rendered output. The difference is purely syntactic, so pick whichever your team already uses. If you’re starting from scratch, either works well.

When you run great-docs init, Great Docs analyzes your existing docstrings and auto-detects the style. You can override this in great-docs.yml:

great-docs.yml

parser: numpy   # or "google"

NumPy Style

NumPy-style docstrings use underlined section headers. Parameters are listed one per line with the type on the same line as the name, separated by a colon:

def connect(host: str, port: int = 5432) -> Connection:
    """Open a connection to the database server.

    Establishes a TCP connection to the specified host and port. The connection
    is returned in an idle state, ready for queries. Call `close()` when you're
    finished to release the underlying socket.

    Parameters
    ----------
    host
        The server hostname or IP address.
    port
        The TCP port number. Defaults to the standard PostgreSQL port.

    Returns
    -------
    Connection
        An open connection object.

    Raises
    ------
    ConnectionError
        If the server is unreachable or refuses the connection.

    Examples
    --------
    ```{python}
    conn = connect("localhost", port=5432)
    ```
    """
    ...

Google Style

Google-style docstrings use indented section headers followed by a colon. Parameters are indented under the section header:

def connect(host: str, port: int = 5432) -> Connection:
    """Open a connection to the database server.

    Establishes a TCP connection to the specified host and port. The connection
    is returned in an idle state, ready for queries. Call `close()` when you're
    finished to release the underlying socket.

    Args:
        host: The server hostname or IP address.
        port: The TCP port number. Defaults to the standard PostgreSQL port.

    Returns:
        An open connection object.

    Raises:
        ConnectionError: If the server is unreachable or refuses the connection.

    Examples:
        ```{python}
        conn = connect("localhost", port=5432)
        ```
    """
    ...

Both formats render identically in the final documentation. Great Docs parses them using griffe and produces structured HTML with proper headings, parameter tables, and type annotations.

Docstring Sections

A docstring can contain several recognized sections. You don’t need all of them for every function or class. Use only what’s relevant. The standard sections are:

Section	Purpose
Summary line	A one-line description. Always present. Shows up in API index tables.
Extended description	Extra paragraphs after the summary. Markdown formatting applies.
Parameters	Describes each parameter (name, type, meaning, default).
Returns	What the function returns, including the type.
Raises	Exceptions the function may raise and when.
Notes	Implementation details, algorithms, or caveats.
Examples	Code demonstrating usage. Can be executable (see below).
See Also	Related functions or classes. See Cross-Referencing.
Warnings	Important cautions about usage.
References	Citations or links to external resources.

Not every section needs to appear, and sections with no content are simply omitted from the rendered page. At minimum, include a summary line and a Parameters section for any function that accepts arguments. Returns and Raises sections are also high value: they tell users what to expect without reading source code.

Custom Sections

Both NumPy and Google docstring formats allow you to define your own named sections beyond the standard ones. This is useful when a function has domain-specific concepts that deserve their own heading. For example, the Pointblank library uses custom sections like “Supported DataFrame Types”, “Preprocessing”, “Segmentation”, and “Thresholds” to document recurring concepts that cut across many validation methods:

def col_vals_gt(
    self,
    columns: str | list[str],
    value: float | int,
    na_pass: bool = False,
    pre: Callable | None = None,
    thresholds: Thresholds | None = None,
) -> Validate:
    """Are column data greater than a fixed value or data in another column?

    The `col_vals_gt()` validation method checks whether column values
    in a table are *greater than* a specified `value=`.

    Parameters
    ----------
    columns
        A single column or a list of columns to validate.
    value
        The value to compare against. This can be a single value or a
        column name given in `col()`.
    na_pass
        Should any encountered None, NA, or Null values be considered
        as passing test units? By default, this is `False`.
    pre
        An optional preprocessing function or lambda to apply to the
        data table during interrogation.
    thresholds
        Failure-condition levels for reporting and reacting to
        exceedences.

    Returns
    -------
    Validate
        The `Validate` object with the added validation step.

    What Can Be Used in `value=`?
    -----------------------------
    The `value=` argument allows for a variety of input types:

    - a single numeric value
    - a single date or datetime value
    - a `col()` object that represents a column name

    Preprocessing
    -------------
    The `pre=` argument allows for a preprocessing function or lambda
    to be applied to the data table during interrogation. The
    transformed table only exists during the validation step and is
    not stored.

    Thresholds
    ----------
    The `thresholds=` parameter sets the failure-condition levels.
    There are three levels: 'warning', 'error', and 'critical'.

    Examples
    --------
    ...
    """
    ...

Each custom section becomes its own heading on the rendered reference page, giving readers a structured way to learn about concepts without cramming everything into the extended description.

Executable Examples in Docstrings

One of the most powerful features of Great Docs is that executable code cells work inside docstrings. Instead of showing static code snippets, you can write live examples that Quarto runs during the build. The output (tables, plots, printed values) appears directly on the reference page.

Use the same ```{python} syntax you’d use in a .qmd file:

def preview(data, limit: int = 5):
    """Display a preview of the first rows of a table.

    Parameters
    ----------
    data
        The table to preview.
    limit
        Maximum number of rows to show.

    Examples
    --------
    Load a dataset and preview it:

    ```{python}
    import pointblank as pb

    tbl = pb.load_dataset(dataset="small_table", tbl_type="polars")

    pb.preview(tbl)
    ```

    The preview shows column names, types, and the first few rows. This
    is useful for quickly inspecting data before writing validation steps.
    """
    ...

When Great Docs builds the site, Quarto executes the code block and embeds the resulting HTML table directly on the reference page. Readers see both the code and its output, so they know exactly what to expect when they call the function.

Tips for Executable Examples

Executable examples are powerful, but they add build time and can break if APIs change. These guidelines help you get the most from them while keeping your builds fast and reliable:

• Set up shared state with hidden cells. If every example needs the same imports or configuration, use a hidden code cell at the top of the Examples section. Mark it with #| echo: false and #| output: false so readers see only the meaningful examples:

  """
  Examples
  --------
  ```{python}
  #| echo: false
  #| output: false
  import mypackage as mp
  mp.config(report_header=False)

  Now the visible example is clean:

  ```{python}
  result = mp.transform(data)
  result
  ```

  ““” ```

• Add prose between code cells. Docstring examples don’t have to be just code. Intersperse explanatory paragraphs that guide readers through what each example demonstrates and what the output means.

• Keep examples self-contained. Each example should run on its own. Don’t rely on variables defined in earlier examples unless you’ve set them up in a hidden cell.

Following these patterns keeps your reference pages informative without turning the build into a fragile integration test.

Great Docs Directives

Great Docs recognizes special %-prefixed directives that you can place anywhere in a docstring. These directives are stripped from the rendered output and used to control documentation behavior.

%seealso: Cross-Reference Related Items

The %seealso directive adds a “See Also” section to the rendered reference page with clickable links to related symbols. Place it on its own line anywhere in the docstring:

def encode(data: bytes, encoding: str = "utf-8") -> str:
    """Encode bytes to a string.

    %seealso decode, transcode
    """
    ...

You can add descriptions after each name, separated by a colon:

def load(path: str) -> dict:
    """Load data from a file.

    %seealso save : Write data back to a file, validate : Check integrity
    """
    ...

You can also use multiple %seealso lines. Great Docs merges them into a single “See Also” section:

def transform(data: dict) -> dict:
    """Transform data before processing.

    %seealso load : Read raw data from a file
    %seealso save : Write transformed data back
    %seealso validate : Check data integrity after transform
    """
    ...

For full details on cross-referencing (including inline interlinks and code autolinks), see Cross-Referencing.

%nodoc: Exclude an Item from Documentation

Sometimes a function or class is public (no leading underscore) but you don’t want it in the API reference. Perhaps it’s a legacy function kept for backward compatibility, or an implementation detail that happens to be exported. The %nodoc directive tells Great Docs to skip it entirely:

def _real_implementation():
    ...

def legacy_wrapper():
    """Old entry point, kept for backward compatibility.

    %nodoc
    """
    return _real_implementation()

When Great Docs discovers legacy_wrapper during static analysis, it reads the docstring, finds the %nodoc directive, and excludes the item from the generated reference. The function still exists in your package and still works; it simply won’t appear in the documentation.

This is different from the exclude list in great-docs.yml. The exclude config is for items you always want hidden (CLI entry points, internal modules). The %nodoc directive is for per-item decisions that live alongside the code, where the author of the function is best positioned to decide whether it belongs in the docs.

You can verify which items are excluded by running great-docs scan. Items marked with %nodoc won’t appear in the output.

Markdown in Docstrings

Since Great Docs renders docstrings through Quarto, all standard Markdown formatting works:

• Bold and italic text
• Inline code with backticks
• Links to external resources
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Tables
• Callout blocks (tip, note, warning, caution)
• Block quotes
• Images

Here’s an example showing callouts and tables inside a docstring:

class DataStore:
    """A persistent key-value store backed by SQLite.

    ::: {.callout-warning}
    The store is not thread-safe. If you need concurrent access, use
    `ThreadSafeStore` instead.
    :::

    The following storage backends are supported:

    | Backend  | Persistence | Speed  |
    |----------|-------------|--------|
    | memory   | None        | Fast   |
    | sqlite   | Disk        | Medium |
    | redis    | Network     | Varies |

    %seealso ThreadSafeStore, connect
    """
    ...

All of this renders exactly as it would in a .qmd page: the callout becomes a styled warning box, the table gets proper formatting, and the %seealso directive produces a “See Also” section with links.

Linking to Other API Items

Inside docstrings, you can create clickable links to other documented symbols using interlinks syntax. This is useful for guiding readers to related classes or functions:

class Validator:
    """Run validation checks on a data table.

    After creating a `Validator`, add steps with methods like
    [](`~mypackage.col_vals_gt`) and [](`~mypackage.col_vals_lt`),
    then call [](`~mypackage.Validator.interrogate`) to run them.
    """
    ...

The ~ prefix strips the package path so readers see just col_vals_gt instead of the full qualified name. Great Docs also auto-links inline code: if you write `col_vals_gt` in a docstring and that name is a documented symbol, it automatically becomes a clickable link. See Cross-Referencing for the full details.

Docstrings and Sphinx Compatibility

If your project also publishes Sphinx-based documentation, you may have Sphinx cross-reference roles (like :py:exc:`ValueError`) or RST directives (like .. versionadded:: 2.0) in your docstrings. Great Docs automatically cleans these up during the build, converting them to readable Markdown equivalents. You don’t need to maintain two versions of your docstrings.

See API Documentation: Sphinx & RST Cleanup for details on which constructs are handled.

Next Steps

Well-structured docstrings are the foundation of a useful API reference. By choosing a consistent format, using the right sections, and embedding executable examples, you give Great Docs the raw material it needs to produce polished reference pages with minimal extra effort.

• API Documentation explains how Great Docs discovers exports, classifies them, and organizes the reference
• Cross-Referencing covers %seealso, inline interlinks, and code autolinks in depth
• Linting checks for missing docstrings, malformed directives, and other issues
• Configuration covers the parser setting and other great-docs.yml options