bugGNU Octave - Bugs: bug #55890, "help class.method"...

 
 

bug #55890: "help class.method" returns help for class if method overloads builtin

Submitter:  Colin Macdonald <cbm>
Submitted:  Tue 12 Mar 2019 07:42:50 AM UTC
   
 
Category:  Interpreter Severity:  3 - Normal
Priority:  5 - Normal Item Group:  Matlab Compatibility
Status:  Confirmed Assigned to:  None
Originator Name:  Open/Closed:  * Open
Release:  * dev Operating System:  * Any
Fixed Release:  None Planned Release:  None
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Mon 28 Nov 2022 03:40:07 PM UTC, comment #4: 

ok, i spoke too soon.

help sym.assume *works
help sym.char *returns help for sym
help sym.erf *returns help for sym
help logical.isAlways *returns help for logical
help @sym/assume *works
help ftp.ascii *returns help for ftp

so the behavior has changed, they no longer produce a not-found error. but it still isn't right.

still wondering if it might make sense to consolidate the class help issues under a single report, or whether they should remain separate.

see this bug
bug #61521
bug #62804
(are there others?)

Nicholas Jankowski <nrjank>
Group Member
Mon 28 Nov 2022 03:33:22 PM UTC, comment #3: 

testing a number of the suggestions in comments below, it seems most of what didn't work then, works now (tested in 7.3.0 with symbolic 3.0.0). with the package loaded,

help sym.assume
help sym.char
help sym.erf
help logical.isAlways
help @sym/assume
help ftp.ascii

all return the expected help text.

the comment #2 request for "help ftp/ascii" still fails.

Is the primary concern of this bug now resolved?  Is the comment #2 request is covered adequately by bug #61521 such that this can be closed?

Nicholas Jankowski <nrjank>
Group Member
Wed 13 Mar 2019 08:16:55 PM UTC, comment #2: 

While you're at it, it would be nice to support "help ftp/ascii" for compatibility with Matlab, as documented here [1] for "help handle/delete".

Another reason to support this is that Matlab docs often have "See Also: foo/bar" whereas we currently have to say "See Also: @foo/bar".

[1] https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/help.html

Colin Macdonald <cbm>
Tue 12 Mar 2019 08:26:39 AM UTC, comment #1: 

I see the same with the ftp class except they all seem to fail, even when there is not a built-in function with the same name:


octave:1> help ftp.ascii
error: help: 'ftp.ascii' not found


I'll try to take a look since I have been making some changes related to looking up names/classes/packages/etc.

John W. Eaton <jwe>
Group administrator
Tue 12 Mar 2019 07:42:50 AM UTC, original submission:  

These examples come from the Symbolic package.

"help sym.assume" works fine.  But "help sym.char" does not.  Nor does "help sym.erf".  I guess the difference is there is no builtin "assume" but there are "char" and "erf" functions.


> help sym.erf
error: help: 'sym.erf' not found


Notes:

  * "help @class/method" always works---this report is about the dot notation.

  * possibly related: if the class name is itself a builtin, the dot notation also fails, e.g., "help logical.isAlways".

  * Tested on 4.2 and 5.1.1.

  * 6.0.0 seems to have broken/removed "help @sym/assume" but this bug is present there too.

Colin Macdonald <cbm>

 

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    Follow 4 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2022-11-28 nrjank Summary&quot;help class.method&quot; fails if method overloads builtin "help class.method" returns help for class if method overloads builtin
    2022-11-28 nrjank StatusNeed Info Confirmed
    2022-11-28 nrjank StatusConfirmed Need Info
    2019-03-13 mtmiller StatusNone Confirmed

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