Is it possible to make the imports within `__init__.py` visible for python `help()` command?

Question

Suppose I have a module:

mymodule/example.py:

def add_one(number):
    return number + 1

And mymodule/__init__.py:

from .example import *

foo = "FOO"

def bar():
    return 1

Now I see the function at the root of mymodule:

>>> import mymodule
>>> mymodule.add_one(3)
4
>>> mymodule.foo
'FOO'

Also, I see imported add_one through dir along with example:

>>> dir(mymodule)
['__builtins__', '__cached__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__loader__', '__name__', '__package__', '__path__', '__spec__', 'add_one', 'bar', 'example', 'foo']

But when I type help(mymodule) I see only example, foo and bar, but not the imported add_one:

Help on package mymodule:

NAME
    mymodule

PACKAGE CONTENTS
    example

FUNCTIONS
    bar()

DATA
    foo = 'FOO'

But I can call add_one() as the root function of mymodule. Is it possible to see it in help as root function?

Answer 1

From the source code of help() (docmodule under pydoc.py)

        for key, value in inspect.getmembers(object, inspect.isroutine):
            # if __all__ exists, believe it.  Otherwise use old heuristic.
            if (all is not None or
                inspect.isbuiltin(value) or inspect.getmodule(value) is object):
                if visiblename(key, all, object):
                    funcs.append((key, value))

The important part is inspect.getmodule(value) is object), this is where values that are not directly part of the object itself are dropped

You can add this line

__all__ = ['bar', 'add_one', 'FOO']

to your __init__.py file, this way the help function will make sure to include these objects in help

Keep in mind that if you do this anything you don't include in this list will not be included