Check class attributes against docstring

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 # Change Log
 
+## [0.5.0] - 2024-06-22
+
+- Added
+
+  - Added checks for class attributes
+    - This functionality checks class attributes against the "Attributes"
+      section of the docstring
+    - There is a new config option, `--check-class-attributes` (or `-cca`),
+      which defaults to `True`. Therefore, this breaks backward compatibility.
+    - To maintain backward compatibility, set `--check-class-attributes` to
+      `False`
+    - Options like `--check-arg-order`, `--arg-type-hints-in-signature`, and
+      `--arg-type-hints-in-docstring` are still effective in checking class
+      attributes
+
+- Full diff
+  - https://github.com/jsh9/pydoclint/compare/0.4.2...0.5.0
+
 ## [0.4.2] - 2024-05-29
 
 - Changed

docs/checking_class_attributes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+# Checking class attributes
+
+Class attributes are similar to function arguments. They look like this:
+
+```python
+class MyPet:
+    name: str
+    age_in_months: int
+    weight_in_kg: float
+    is_very_cute_or_not: bool = True
+```
+
+And we'd like to also document them in docstrings. However, none of the
+mainstream docstring styles (Google, numpy, or Sphinx) offers explicit
+guidelines on documenting class attributes. Therefore, in _pydoclint_, we
+designed a new (but not totally surprising) docstring section: "attributes"
+under which we can document the class attributes.
+
+Here is an example that demonstrates the expected style:
+
+```python
+class MyPet:
+    """
+    A class to hold information of my pet.
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    name : str
+        Name of my pet
+    age_in_months : int
+        Age of my pet (unit: months)
+    weight_in_kg : float
+        Weight of my pet (unit: kg)
+    is_very_cute_or_not : bool
+        Is my pet very cute?  Or just cute?
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    airtag_id : int
+        The ID of the AirTag that I put on my pet
+    """
+    name: str
+    age_in_months: int
+    weight_in_kg: float
+    is_very_cute_or_not: bool = True
+
+    def __init__(self, airtag_id: int) -> None:
+        self.airtag_id = airtag_id
+```
+
+From this example, we can see a few things:
+
+1. The class attributes should be put in a different docstring section than the
+   argument passed into the class constructor (`__init__()`)
+2. Both the class attributes and the input arguments to `__init__()` are in the
+   same docstring. (This is assuming the _pydoclint_ option
+   `--allow-init-docstring` is `False`)
+
+If `--allow-init-docstring` is set to `True`, we can write two separate
+docstrings like this:
+
+```python
+class MyPet:
+    """
+    A class to hold information of my pet.
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    name : str
+        Name of my pet
+    age_in_months : int
+        Age of my pet (unit: months)
+    weight_in_kg : float
+        Weight of my pet (unit: kg)
+    is_very_cute_or_not : bool
+        Is my pet very cute?  Or just cute?
+    """
+    name: str
+    age_in_months: int
+    weight_in_kg: float
+    is_very_cute_or_not: bool = True
+
+    def __init__(self, airtag_id: int) -> None:
+        """
+        Initialize a class object.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        airtag_id : int
+            The ID of the AirTag that I put on my pet
+        """
+        self.airtag_id = airtag_id
+```
+
+#### Special note for Sphinx style docstrings
+
+If you use the Sphinx style, you can annotate class attributes like this:
+
+```python
+:attr my_attr: My attribute
+:type my_attr: float
+```
+
+However, there is no guarantee that this `:attr` tag is recognized by current
+doc rendering programs.

docs/config_options.md

@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@ page:
 - [9. `--require-return-section-when-returning-nothing` (shortform: `-rrs`, default: `False`)](#9---require-return-section-when-returning-nothing-shortform--rrs-default-false)
 - [10. `--check-return-types` (shortform: `-crt`, default: `True`)](#10---check-return-types-shortform--crt-default-true)
 - [11. `--check-yield-types` (shortform: `-cyt`, default: `True`)](#11---check-yield-types-shortform--cyt-default-true)
-- [12. `--baseline`](#12---baseline)
-- [13. `--generate-baseline` (default: `False`)](#13---generate-baseline-default-false)
-- [14. `--show-filenames-in-every-violation-message` (shortform: `-sfn`, default: `False`)](#14---show-filenames-in-every-violation-message-shortform--sfn-default-false)
-- [15. `--config` (default: `pyproject.toml`)](#15---config-default-pyprojecttoml)
+- [12. `--check-class-attributes` (shortform: `-cca`, default: `True`)](#12---check-class-attributes-shortform--cca-default-true)
+- [13. `--baseline`](#13---baseline)
+- [14. `--generate-baseline` (default: `False`)](#14---generate-baseline-default-false)
+- [15. `--show-filenames-in-every-violation-message` (shortform: `-sfn`, default: `False`)](#15---show-filenames-in-every-violation-message-shortform--sfn-default-false)
+- [16. `--config` (default: `pyproject.toml`)](#16---config-default-pyprojecttoml)
 
 <!--TOC-->
 
@@ -165,7 +166,16 @@ annotation in the function signature are consistent
 If True, check that the type(s) in the docstring "yields" section and the
 return annotation in the function signature are consistent.
 
-## 12. `--baseline`
+## 12. `--check-class-attributes` (shortform: `-cca`, default: `True`)
+
+If True, check the class attributes (defined under the class definition)
+against the "Attributes" section of the class's docstring.
+
+Please read
+[this page](https://jsh9.github.io/pydoclint/checking_class_attributes.html)
+for more instructions.
+
+## 13. `--baseline`
 
 Baseline allows you to remember the current project state and then show only
 new violations, ignoring old ones. This can be very useful when you'd like to
@@ -185,12 +195,12 @@ project. If `--generate-baseline` is not passed (default value is `False`),
 _pydoclint_ will read your baseline file, and ignore all violations specified
 in that file.
 
-## 13. `--generate-baseline` (default: `False`)
+## 14. `--generate-baseline` (default: `False`)
 
 Required to use with `--baseline` option. If `True`, generate the baseline file
 that contains all current violations.
 
-## 14. `--show-filenames-in-every-violation-message` (shortform: `-sfn`, default: `False`)
+## 15. `--show-filenames-in-every-violation-message` (shortform: `-sfn`, default: `False`)
 
 If False, in the terminal the violation messages are grouped by file names:
 
@@ -224,7 +234,7 @@ This can be convenient if you would like to click on each violation message and
 go to the corresponding line in your IDE. (Note: not all terminal app offers
 this functionality.)
 
-## 15. `--config` (default: `pyproject.toml`)
+## 16. `--config` (default: `pyproject.toml`)
 
 The full path of the .toml config file that contains the config options. Note
 that the command line options take precedence over the .toml file. Look at this

pydoclint/flake8_entry.py

@@ -156,6 +156,17 @@ def add_options(cls, parser):  # noqa: D102
                 ' signature do not need to appear in the docstring.'
             ),
         )
+        parser.add_option(
+            '-cca',
+            '--check-class-attributes',
+            action='store',
+            default='True',
+            parse_from_config=True,
+            help=(
+                'If True, class attributes (the ones defined right beneath'
+                ' "class MyClass:") are checked against the docstring.'
+            ),
+        )
 
     @classmethod
     def parse_options(cls, options):  # noqa: D102
@@ -181,6 +192,7 @@ def parse_options(cls, options):  # noqa: D102
         cls.check_return_types = options.check_return_types
         cls.check_yield_types = options.check_yield_types
         cls.ignore_underscore_args = options.ignore_underscore_args
+        cls.check_class_attributes = options.check_class_attributes
         cls.style = options.style
 
     def run(self) -> Generator[Tuple[int, int, str, Any], None, None]:
@@ -246,6 +258,10 @@ def run(self) -> Generator[Tuple[int, int, str, Any], None, None]:
             '--ignore-underscore-args',
             self.ignore_underscore_args,
         )
+        checkClassAttributes = self._bool(
+            '--check-class-attributes',
+            self.check_class_attributes,
+        )
 
         if self.style not in {'numpy', 'google', 'sphinx'}:
             raise ValueError(
@@ -268,6 +284,7 @@ def run(self) -> Generator[Tuple[int, int, str, Any], None, None]:
             checkReturnTypes=checkReturnTypes,
             checkYieldTypes=checkYieldTypes,
             ignoreUnderscoreArgs=ignoreUnderscoreArgs,
+            checkClassAttributes=checkClassAttributes,
             style=self.style,
         )
         v.visit(self._tree)

pydoclint/main.py

@@ -195,6 +195,17 @@ def validateStyleValue(
         ' signature do not need to appear in the docstring.'
     ),
 )
+@click.option(
+    '-cca',
+    '--check-class-attributes',
+    type=bool,
+    show_default=True,
+    default=True,
+    help=(
+        'If True, class attributes (the ones defined right beneath'
+        ' "class MyClass:") are checked against the docstring.'
+    ),
+)
 @click.option(
     '--baseline',
     type=click.Path(
@@ -279,6 +290,7 @@ def main(  # noqa: C901
         check_return_types: bool,
         check_yield_types: bool,
         ignore_underscore_args: bool,
+        check_class_attributes: bool,
         require_return_section_when_returning_none: bool,
         require_return_section_when_returning_nothing: bool,
         require_yield_section_when_yielding_nothing: bool,
@@ -363,6 +375,7 @@ def main(  # noqa: C901
         checkReturnTypes=check_return_types,
         checkYieldTypes=check_yield_types,
         ignoreUnderscoreArgs=ignore_underscore_args,
+        checkClassAttributes=check_class_attributes,
         requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing=(
             require_return_section_when_returning_nothing
         ),
@@ -477,6 +490,7 @@ def _checkPaths(
         checkReturnTypes: bool = True,
         checkYieldTypes: bool = True,
         ignoreUnderscoreArgs: bool = True,
+        checkClassAttributes: bool = True,
         requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing: bool = False,
         requireYieldSectionWhenYieldingNothing: bool = False,
         quiet: bool = False,
@@ -522,6 +536,7 @@ def _checkPaths(
             checkReturnTypes=checkReturnTypes,
             checkYieldTypes=checkYieldTypes,
             ignoreUnderscoreArgs=ignoreUnderscoreArgs,
+            checkClassAttributes=checkClassAttributes,
             requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing=(
                 requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing
             ),
@@ -546,6 +561,7 @@ def _checkFile(
         checkReturnTypes: bool = True,
         checkYieldTypes: bool = True,
         ignoreUnderscoreArgs: bool = True,
+        checkClassAttributes: bool = True,
         requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing: bool = False,
         requireYieldSectionWhenYieldingNothing: bool = False,
 ) -> List[Violation]:
@@ -564,6 +580,7 @@ def _checkFile(
         checkReturnTypes=checkReturnTypes,
         checkYieldTypes=checkYieldTypes,
         ignoreUnderscoreArgs=ignoreUnderscoreArgs,
+        checkClassAttributes=checkClassAttributes,
         requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing=(
             requireReturnSectionWhenReturningNothing
         ),