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Docs: every functions should be in the TOC #161307
Description
The list of methods should be in the table of contents for easy navigation on the page. They are now a description list with no mention in the table of contents. It is convenient to take a look at several functions at once, rather than scrolling through the page in search of the right or suitable one.
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picnixz commentedon Nov 4, 2026
2epeat commentedon Nov 4, 2026
Any of this or any other pages in docs where function or method, property not shown in TOC.
https://docs.python.org/3/library/index.html
https://docs.python.org/3/library/cmath.html
picnixz commentedon Nov 4, 2026
I'm sorry but I still don't understand. Which ToC are you talking about? is it the left navigation bar? putting every function in a ToC on the left would be too burdensome for many users. If you need to find a function, there is the search bar. If you want to browse them, you browse the page.
None of the pages put a list of functions on the sidebars (numpy docs would for instance).
picnixz commentedon Nov 4, 2026
Some modules have way too many functions that would become relevant and adding a level in the sidebar may be too much. That being said, I can see why you want to see some "index" of what's available in a module. I would suggest that you offer this idea on https://discuss.python.org/c/documentation/26.
OTOH, we could a page which lists all functions for each module (like an index). That page could be autogenerated from what we already have.
StanFromIreland commentedon Nov 4, 2026
Do you mean docs.python.org/3/contents.html? That page is long enough as-is, I'm not sure it would be useable if all functions were present.
2epeat commentedon Nov 4, 2026
A good solution is somewhere in the middle.
I find the PHP documentation really convenient.
There is a Function Reference https://www.php.net/manual/en/funcref.php section in which functions are grouped by purpose. Having failed, for example, in Mcrypt https://www.php.net/manual/en/book.mcrypt.php we observe - here is the name of the function and its brief description.
I think it would be a good idea to organize a page(s) like this.
I believe that any documentation should be organized in this way (or another but better way).
The documentation of JQuery functions is also well organized https://api.jquery.com
StanFromIreland commentedon Nov 4, 2026
The PHP grouping is similar to the one we have in https://docs.python.org/3/library/index.html ?
Also, please clarify what ToC you are talking about, this is still unclear.
2epeat commentedon Nov 5, 2026
@StanFromIreland, first you gave an example of a page that is actually intended for search robots, complaining that it is already infinitely long. Now you selectively pulled literally one link from the example, although there are 3 of them and explanations, forcing me to react.
Yes, there is such a page as a list of modules, it's great, but that's not all that I specified - I also gave Mcrypt as an example. https://www.php.net/manual/en/book.mcrypt.php - this page contains a list of functions and their brief description. It is convenient to pick out the desired function from such a list - there is no need to scroll and read the page in search of a function whose name I do not know.
At first, I was talking about the panel on the left - there's a table of contents. Now I'm talking about separate pages like the Mcrypt page for each module. In general, no matter where and how it will be implemented, the main thing is convenience.