Python docstrings can have any format you like.
However, the standard tools for Python documentations support reStructuredText, which support multiple syntaxes for tables, e.g.:
===== ===== =======
A B A and B
===== ===== =======
False False False
True False False
False True False
True True True
===== ===== =======
However, if this is as unfriendly as you think, you may want to consider splitting this single parameter into multiple simpler parameters.
Answer from norok2 on Stack OverflowMkdocstrings
mkdocstrings.github.io › python › usage › configuration › docstrings
Docstrings - mkdocstrings-python
There are sections for documenting ... data and can therefore be rendered in different ways. Possible values: "table": a simple table, usually with type, name and description columns...
Python-sprints
python-sprints.github.io › pandas › guide › pandas_docstring.html
pandas docstring guide — Python documentation
Docstrings must be defined with three double-quotes. No blank lines should be left before or after the docstring. The text starts in the next line after the opening quotes.
DataCamp
datacamp.com › tutorial › docstrings-python
Python Docstrings Tutorial : Examples & Format for Pydoc, Numpy, Sphinx Doc Strings | DataCamp
February 14, 2025 - !python -m pydoc -b · ^C · The moment you run the above cell, a new window will open on an arbitrary port number, and the web browser will look similar to the one shown below. Let's look at the documentation of the h5py module, which is a file format used to store weights of neural network architecture. In the table below, you can see a comparison of the different types of docstring formats we've mentioned above: Sphinx Style: Often used in large projects where comprehensive documentation is required.
Readthedocs
numpydoc.readthedocs.io › en › latest › format.html
Style guide — numpydoc v1.11.1.dev1+gca74aae44 Manual
References are meant to augment the docstring, but should not be required to understand it. References are numbered, starting from one, in the order in which they are cited. ... Where references like [1] appear in a tables within a numpydoc docstring, the table markup will be broken by numpydoc processing.
Readthedocs
sphinx-rtd-theme.readthedocs.io › en › stable › demo › lists_tables.html
4. Lists & Tables — Read the Docs Sphinx Theme 3.1.0 documentation
8 9 This text tests for the formatting of docstrings generated from output 10 ``sphinx.ext.autodoc``. Which contain reST, but sphinx nests it in the ... This is a note nested in a list. ... I kept saying that, “deeper down the rabbit hole”. yahoo · I cackle at night yahoo. ... A man of python ...
Pandas
pandas.pydata.org › docs › development › contributing_docstring.html
pandas docstring guide — pandas 3.0.5 documentation
Docstrings must be defined with three double-quotes. No blank lines should be left before or after the docstring. The text starts in the next line after the opening quotes.
Programiz
programiz.com › python-programming › docstrings
Python Docstrings (With Examples)
Python docstrings are the string literals that appear right after the definition of a function, method, class, or module.
Safjan
safjan.com › home › note › python - docstrings styles
Python - Docstrings Styles - Krystian Safjan's Blog
July 11, 2023 - Data Scientist and Team Leader writing about Machine Learning, MLOps, and Python ... Currently, pure Markdown (with extensions, numpydoc, and Google-style docstrings formats are supported, along with some reST directives. ... def fetch_smalltable_rows(table_handle: smalltable.Table, keys: Sequence[Union[bytes, str]], require_all_keys: bool = False, ) -> Mapping[bytes, Tuple[str]]: """Fetches rows from a Smalltable.
EDUCBA
educba.com › home › software development › software development tutorials › python tutorial › python docstring
Python Docstring | Complete Guide to Python Docstring
March 24, 2023 - Any custom imports that are used in the scripts need to be mentioned as a part of the script docstring. Let us see an example of Python Script Docstring where we define a function to show the information about the columns present in CSV files provided we are giving the CSV file path.
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Real Python
realpython.com › documenting-python-code
Documenting Python Code: A Complete Guide – Real Python
July 17, 2026 - Docstring Formats: The different docstring “formats” (Google, NumPy/SciPy, reStructuredText, and Epytext) Documenting your Python code is all centered on docstrings. These are built-in strings that, when configured correctly, can help your users and yourself with your project’s documentation.
DeepDocs
deepdocs.dev › home › 8 practical python docstring examples & patterns
8 Practical Python Docstring Examples & Patterns | DeepDocs
November 25, 2025 - TL;DR: 8 Key Python Docstring Examples Table of Contents Writing good documentation is non-negotiable for maintainable, scalable, and collaborative software projects. In Python, the docstring is the cornerstone of this practice. It’s not just a comment; it’s a feature of the language itself, ...
Python
peps.python.org › pep-0287
PEP 287 – reStructuredText Docstring Format | peps.python.org
March 25, 2002 - The processed form (HTML etc.) makes it all accessible to readers: inline live hyperlinks; live links to and from footnotes; automatic tables of contents (with live links!); tables; images for diagrams etc.; pleasant, readable styled text. The reStructuredText parser is available now, part of the Docutils project. Standalone reStructuredText documents and PEPs can be converted to HTML; other output format writers are being worked on and will become available over time. Work is progressing on a Python source “Reader” which will implement auto-documentation from docstrings.
Medium
medium.com › @FKosa › docstrings-in-python-all-you-need-to-know-04da3261e51e
Docstrings in Python — All You Need To Know | by Filip Kosowski | Medium
August 5, 2026 - Args: table: Fully qualified table name (e.g., "db_name.table_name"). lookback_days: Number of days to look back for active partitions. Partitions older than this are candidates for dropping. Returns: Total number of partitions added or dropped. """ Without this docstring, you’d have to read the entire function to understand that it both adds and drops partitions.
Dataquest
dataquest.io › home › blog › how to use python docstrings for effective code documentation
Tutorial: Documenting in Python with Docstrings
December 13, 2024 - The Python docstring of this function is enclosed between three double quotes from both sides. As you can see, this string explains what this function does and indicates how we can change its functionality — and what happens if it doesn't support the action we want it to perform.