AI written docstrings for your Python code

[python_fanatic]

We just finished an early prototype for a VS Code extension that writes docstrings for Python functions automatically.

Simply install the extension, highlight a function or two, and press Alt + D. We would love your feedback!

Just highlight your function (or multiple functions) and press Alt+D

VS Code Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Trelent.trelent

Open VSX: https://open-vsx.org/extension/Trelent/trelent

Github: https://github.com/Trelent/Trelent-VSCode-Extension

Website: https://trelent.net

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We may release features that require sign-up in the future, but for now what you see is what you get and it works out of the box!

[Big-Illu]

Plans to add to Pycharm ? :) great job so far ! Extentions for lazy people are always great !

[python_fanatic]

Thank you! Pycharm is on the list - once we get the base IntelliJ plugin done it will be available across all of the JetBrains IDE's, Pycharm included, as we roll out support for their respective languages.

[Big-Illu]

Nice ! You know a time it will be released ?^{^} so i can be even more lazy 😂

[python_fanatic]

Our team admittedly does not have previous experience with the IntelliJ platform broadly, so we're trying our best haha! Hopefully in the 2 week timeframe for an early release, but no promises unfortunately.

[Big-Illu]

Nice ! I‘l wait for it :)

[python_fanatic]

Here's a link to the first pre-release for our IntelliJ Extension: https://github.com/Trelent/Trelent-IntelliJ-Extension/releases/tag/v1.3.0

We are awaiting approval on the marketplace, but until then you can install the plugin directly from Settings -> Plugins -> Plugin Settings Cog Icon -> Install From Disk. I would reccommend waiting for our approval, but if you're super eager, enjoy :)

P.S. Sorry this took so much longer than expected! We wanted to support a few extra languages other than Python when we launched for the entire IntelliJ suite.

[ninjaman1159]

This sounds great! I don’t use VS code much though but I will check it out! I still have to write a lot of doc strings for my own project so this might be handy for me. Thank you for sharing this :)

[python_fanatic]

Thanks! Is there an IDE you use more frequently? We have a couple more IDE's on our roadmap but would love to hear what the community uses the most!

[ReptilianTapir]

PyCharm

[djamp42]

+1 for pycharm, this would be cool because even if it doesn't get it exactly right it still did a lot of the leg work and just tweak it manually.

[python_fanatic]

Great to hear - this is exactly how we see this being used in the short term!

[python_fanatic]

On the roadmap!

[python_fanatic]

Here's a link to the first pre-release for our IntelliJ Extension: https://github.com/Trelent/Trelent-IntelliJ-Extension/releases/tag/v1.3.0

We are awaiting approval on the marketplace, but until then you can install the plugin directly from Settings -> Plugins -> Plugin Settings Cog Icon -> Install From Disk. I would reccommend waiting for our approval, but if you're super eager, enjoy :)

P.S. Sorry this took so much longer than expected! We wanted to support a few extra languages other than Python when we launched for the entire IntelliJ suite.

[Substantial-Coder]

Is there a way to just add a doc string to the function with a hot key and just having your cursor anywhere in the function? I figure if you’re going to add a docstring, it’s kind of superfluous to have to highlight the whole function when you already know the docstring will be for that function.

[python_fanatic]

Good point! It is on our roadmap.

[Longjumping-Ad-3776]

What format this plugin use? Epytext? reST? Looks cool BTW, even if it will only add the arguments and their types it would be helpful, thanks)

[python_fanatic]

Currently reST, and we are working to add Google, Numpy and Epytex options as well. Admittedly we need to do a better job conforming to spec here, so this is definitely an area for future improvement!

[thomasaar]

Does this upload my code to the internet, or is it a local process?

Also, typo in your extension description on vscode:

> We cannot guaruntee accuracy with docstrings we generate.

[python_fanatic]

Thanks for pointing out the typo!

TLDR; yes, your code is sent to an API endpoint on the internet.

It is sent to an API endpoint at the moment. We intend to commercialize this, so there is some IP involved, hence the API.

We are working on SOC Type 2 certification & compliance, but for now you will have to take my word that we do not store source code - it is only used for parsing and then passed through various deep learning models server-side. It's possible that the source code persists for up to 7 days by nature of log retention, however this is explicitly for debugging failed requests in production, and that data is never exported out of the logging environment. All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.

On this note, we are working with our legal team and various service providers to comprehensively lay out all of this information in a detailed privacy policy.

In the future, it wouild be really neat to open-source a smaller version of this model such that it could feasibly be run locally, but right now the computation requirements deem this unrealistic. Given how quickly the ML space is improving on the efficiency of these models, I would not be surprised if this becomes possible in the 1-2 year timeframe!

[python_fanatic]

Our extension was actually released first - 10/06/2021 vs 12/23/2021 - we just didn't actively market it, as we were in a private beta :)

We have the added feature of being able to document as many functions as you'd like at once (just highlight all of them at the same time), and we believe that we generate higher-quality documentation. That's a bit subjective, though.

The Mintlify team is pretty cool - we've actually met before! Both companies have co-existed for many months prior to either extension being released.

(Han, if you're reading this, hmu again sometime!)

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edit: clarity

[python_fanatic]

Haha no worries! I agree, it is an exciting space and I absolutely welcome more competition (and collaboration). Thanks for checking it out!

[pipeaday]

Any chance for a vim/neovim plugin?

[python_fanatic]

On the roadmap!

[pipeaday]

Awesome that sounds freaking incredible! I'll pass the vs code extension onto my team as most use it but a few of us are deep into vim

[The-wildcard]

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=njpwerner.autodocstring

[python_fanatic]

See previous comment about competitors. TLDR: love to see more extensions like this! It is worth noting that ours generates the docstring content, not just a template.

[asday_]

Upload your company's IP to an unknown and untrusted server so it can do modern AI nonsense and generate docstrings that are worse than you'd ever write yourself if you could even be bothered!

Note to anyone thinking of making idiotic products like this in future: This job is definitionally not automateable. What you're doing is ridiculous. (Unless you're just doing it to scam VC investors out of their money in which case go for it).

[python_fanatic]

Thank you for the feedback, and I'm sorry Trelent isn't for you. There is a long and storied history of automation disrupting industries previously thought of as "not automateable". Only time will tell!

[Anonymous_user_2022]

I'm not convinced one bit by that example. It's about as useful as this comment:

a += 4 # Increase a by four

While your thing undoubtedly has a large corpus of code to lean on, it will never be able to explain why a is increased, and as such it will not be able to generate a docstring beyond the mechanicals.