pdoc – Python API documentation generator

pdoc generates API documentation from Python modules, docstrings, and type annotations. Its output follows the project’s module hierarchy, providing a reference for packages, classes, functions, and variables.

A built-in web server previews documentation during development, while HTML export produces files suitable for publishing on a static web host.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

• Generates documentation directly from Python projects with minimal initial configuration.
• Interprets Markdown in docstrings, including formatted text, links, lists, and code examples.
• Understands NumPy-style and Google-style docstrings for documenting parameters, return values, and other details.
• Displays type annotations and resolves forward references expressed as strings.
• Automatically links recognized identifiers to their corresponding documentation.
• Extracts variable documentation and annotations, including instance attributes declared in constructors.
• Inherits documentation and type annotations for class members where appropriate.
• Uses module exports and visibility controls to determine which objects appear in the documentation.
• Allows selected submodules to be excluded and documented items to be reordered.
• Provides a development server with automatic reloading as source files change.
• Exports self-contained HTML documentation without requiring pdoc on the hosting server.
• Supports mathematical notation, Mermaid diagrams, and included Markdown files.
• Offers customizable Jinja2 templates, project logos, and documentation title pages.
• Provides a Python API for integrating documentation generation into other tools.
• Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Website: github.com/mitmproxy/pdoc
Support:
Developer: Maximilian Hils and contributors
License: MIT No Attribution License

pdoc is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

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