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Pydocs module docs server not working on Windows. #58717

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terryjreedy opened this issue Apr 5, 2012 · 10 comments
Closed

Pydocs module docs server not working on Windows. #58717

terryjreedy opened this issue Apr 5, 2012 · 10 comments
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stdlib Python modules in the Lib dir topic-installation type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error

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@terryjreedy
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BPO 14512
Nosy @loewis, @birkenfeld, @terryjreedy, @ncoghlan, @larryhastings

Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2014-03-02.19:34:35.675>
created_at = <Date 2012-04-05.17:07:05.144>
labels = ['library', 'type-bug', 'expert-installation']
title = 'Pydocs module docs server not working on Windows.'
updated_at = <Date 2015-02-16.06:24:00.853>
user = 'https://github.com/terryjreedy'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2015-02-16.06:24:00.853>
actor = 'berker.peksag'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2014-03-02.19:34:35.675>
closer = 'loewis'
components = ['Installation', 'Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2012-04-05.17:07:05.144>
creator = 'terry.reedy'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 14512
keywords = []
message_count = 10.0
messages = ['157606', '157931', '157936', '209687', '210145', '212580', '212582', '212584', '212585', '213806']
nosy_count = 8.0
nosy_names = ['loewis', 'georg.brandl', 'terry.reedy', 'ncoghlan', 'larry', 'docs@python', 'python-dev', 'Harlquinth']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue14512'
versions = ['Python 3.3', 'Python 3.4']
@terryjreedy
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3.2.3rc2 and 3.3.0a2, freshly downloaded and installed, Win7, 64 bit
Start Menue/Pythonxx/Module Docs
Brings up tkinter pydoc box.
[open browser] brings up *empty* localhost:7464 window.
Search 'tkinter' and double-click tkinter entry or select and [go to selected] opens empty localhost:7464/tkinter.html window.

This worked sometime last year on earlier 3.2, maybe on xp box.

I thought there might be an issue already, but I searched for 'pydoc' and 'modole docs' and found nothing.

@terryjreedy terryjreedy added docs Documentation in the Doc dir stdlib Python modules in the Lib dir topic-installation type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error labels Apr 5, 2012
@ncoghlan
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Hmm, we changed a few things with the way the back end server for pydoc works in 3.2. I didn't realise there was a Windows shortcut though, and I don't know how it gets generated. It sounds like it is still using the "-g" option, which is now deprecated.

If you run "pydoc -b" from a command line window, does that work correctly?

("-g" should still work as well, even though it's deprecated, but knowing whether or not "-b" is also broken may help diagnose the problem)

@ncoghlan ncoghlan removed the docs Documentation in the Doc dir label Apr 10, 2012
@terryjreedy
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C:\Programs\Python32\Tools\Scripts>..\..\pythonw pydocgui.pyw -b
has the same behavior I described. So does -g.

The shortcut has been part of the Windows installation for many versions. It obviously uses pydocgui.py.

C:\Programs\Python32\Lib>pydoc.py -b
# starts one python.exe process
# prints on the next lines in the command window
Server ready at http://localhost:50695/
Server commands: [b]rowser, [q]uit
server>
# and opens blank localhost:50695 browser window
after asking for permission for python to access local network (which I gave). 'b' at prompt opens another blank window.

C:\Programs\Python32\Lib>pydoc.py -w difflib
#prints
wrote difflib.html
#which it did, looking as expected when opened in browser, with lots of cross-links.

So what it seems is not working in either case is opening the html page in the browser or connecting it to the server.

C:\Programs\Python32\Lib>webbrowser.py python.org
opens the page in *Internet Explorer* rather than Firefox (my default browser). pydoc tried to connect to the server in a new FF tab.

When I re-ran pydoc and tried to open localhost:50695 in IE, it gave me the result of a Bing search (one help forum post), so neither browser can find anything at that url.

@terryjreedy
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On current 3.3.4 and 3.4.0 start menus, clicking Module Docs does nothing that I can see except add a useless entry to the Frequent Programs list.

I think the entry should be removed from the menu until it is made to work. All it does now is frustrate people and make Python look bad.

@Harlquinth
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Harlquinth mannequin commented Feb 3, 2014

We're also having the same issue here as well - I will delete the shortcut as a temporary fix!

Thanks, Hq.

@loewis
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loewis mannequin commented Mar 2, 2014

Nick: the menu entry currently launches tools\scripts\pydocgui.pyw, with no command line options.

@python-dev
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python-dev mannequin commented Mar 2, 2014

New changeset de81e0fe4905 by Martin v. Löwis in branch 'default':
Issue bpo-14512: Launch pydoc -b instead of pydocgui.pyw on Windows.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/de81e0fe4905

@loewis
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loewis mannequin commented Mar 2, 2014

cherry-picking request in bpo-20834.

I will personally not backport this to 3.3.

@loewis loewis mannequin closed this as completed Mar 2, 2014
@loewis
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loewis mannequin commented Mar 2, 2014

FTR: the server itself works fine for me. I don't see an empty window, but the proper library index. Terry, if the issue persists for you even after the change to pydoc -b, please submit *another* issue.

@python-dev
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python-dev mannequin commented Mar 17, 2014

New changeset fa34ea4e9e47 by Martin v. Löwis in branch '3.4':
Issue bpo-14512: Launch pydoc -b instead of pydocgui.pyw on Windows.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/fa34ea4e9e47

@ezio-melotti ezio-melotti transferred this issue from another repository Apr 10, 2022
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