How to Get Python Function Source Code Without the Docstring

Discover how to extract Python function source code while excluding the docstring in an efficient way.
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How to Get Python Function Source Code Without the Docstring

If you've ever needed to extract the source code of a Python function but wanted to exclude its docstring, you might have run into some challenges. Functions in Python often have documentation strings at the beginning, which can complicate situations like hashing function code using libraries like joblib. Fortunately, there's a straightforward solution that allows you to get the clean source code of a function without the docstring.

The Problem Explained

The Solution: A Custom Python Function

To solve this issue, we can construct a Python function that utilizes Abstract Syntax Trees (AST). This method allows us to precisely manipulate the function source while removing the docstring. Here's a step-by-step guide through the solution.

Step-by-Step Explanation

Import Necessary Libraries: We start by importing several modules that will help us analyze and manipulate the function's source code.

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Define the Main Function: We create a function named get_source_without_docstring. It takes one parameter, obj, which is a Python function of type FunctionType.

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Obtain Cleaned Source Code: The first step inside our function is to fetch and clean the function's source code by removing extraneous indentation.

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Parse the Source Code: Next, we parse the cleaned source into an AST. This allows us to generate a structured breakdown of the source code.

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Identify and Remove the Docstring: We check if the first statement in the function body is indeed a docstring and, if so, we remove it. This is done by splitting the source code into lines and deleting the appropriate line range.

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Return the Result: Finally, the function returns the modified source code, which now excludes the docstring.

Complete Function Code

Below is the entire implementation of the solution:

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Conclusion

By utilizing the method outlined above, you can effectively retrieve the source code of a Python function while skipping over the docstring. This approach is invaluable in scenarios where function code needs to be assessed without documentation interfering. Whether you're caching function results or generating hashes, this method makes the task straightforward and efficient.

Feel free to adapt this solution to fit your specific needs and enhance your Python programming experience!