
\section{\module{pyclbr} ---
         Python class browser support}

\declaremodule{standard}{pyclbr}
\modulesynopsis{Supports information extraction for a Python class
                browser.}
\sectionauthor{Fred L. Drake, Jr.}{fdrake@acm.org}


The \module{pyclbr} can be used to determine some limited information
about the classes and methods defined in a module.  The information
provided is sufficient to implement a traditional three-pane class
browser.  The information is extracted from the source code rather
than from an imported module, so this module is safe to use with
untrusted source code.


\begin{funcdesc}{readmodule}{module\optional{, path}}
  % The 'inpackage' parameter appears to be for internal use only....
  Read a module and return a dictionary mapping class names to class
  descriptor objects.  The parameter \var{module} should be the name
  of a module as a string; it may be the name of a module within a
  package.  The \var{path} parameter should be a sequence, and is used
  to augment the value of \code{sys.path}, which is used to locate
  module source code.
\end{funcdesc}


\subsection{Class Descriptor Objects \label{pyclbr-class-objects}}

The class descriptor objects used as values in the dictionary returned
by \function{readmodule()} provide the following data members:


\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{module}
  The name of the module defining the class described by the class
  descriptor.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{name}
  The name of the class.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{super}
  A list of class descriptors which describe the immediate base
  classes of the class being described.  Classes which are named as
  superclasses but which are not discoverable by
  \function{readmodule()} are listed as a string with the class name
  instead of class descriptors.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{methods}
  A dictionary mapping method names to line numbers.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{file}
  Name of the file containing the class statement defining the class.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[class descriptor]{lineno}
  The line number of the class statement within the file named by
  \member{file}.
\end{memberdesc}
