How do I document classes without the module name?

Question

I am trying to document a python package with sphinx and have successfully generated html files. The package I am documenting consists of a set of *.py files, most containing one class with a couple of files being genuine modules with functions defined. I do not need to expose the fact that each class is in a module so I have added suitable from statements in the __init__.py file e.g.

from base import Base

so that the user can use the import pkg command and does not then have to specify the module that contains the class:

import pkg
class MyBase(pkg.Base):  # instead of pkg.base.Base ...
...

The problem is that sphinx insists on documenting the class as pkg.base.Base. I have tried to set the add_module_names = False in conf.py. However this results in sphinx showing the class as simply Base instead of pkg.Base. Additionally this also ruins the documentation of the couple of *.py files that are modules.

How do I make sphinx show a class as pkg.Base? And how do I set the add_module_names directive selectively for each *.py file?

Answer 1

Here is a way to accomplish what the OP asks for:

1. Add an __all__ list in pkg/__init__.py:

   from base import Base    # Or use 'from base import *'
   
   __all__ = ["Base"]
   

2. Use .. automodule:: pkg in the .rst file.

Sphinx will now output documentation where the class name is shown as pkg.Base instead of pkg.base.Base.