Docs in the Shell

Still can't remember if it's

(Tab, Key)

(Key, Tab)

ets:lookup/2

gb_trees:lookup/2

erl

Use in Rebar3 shell

Add these lines to your

rebar.config

{plugins,
 [
  {rebar3_docsh, "0.7.2", {pkg, docsh}}
 ]}.
{shell, [{script_file, "_build/default/plugins/rebar3_docsh/priv/docsh_rebar3_shell.escript"}]}.

rebar3 shell

h(docsh)

Note: This will dynamically compile and load a

user_default

user_default

Use in

erl

git clone https://github.com/erszcz/docsh
cd docsh
./install.sh

The script will ask if you're sure you want to create some Erlang configuration files:

$ ./install.sh

Installing docsh
This install script will make docsh globally available in your
user environment.
It will install the following files:
  /Users/erszcz/.erlang
  /Users/erszcz/.erlang.d/user_default.erl
To know more about these files please refer to:
  man erl - sections about 'The .erlang startup file'
            and 'user_default and shell_default'
  man shell_default - parts about user_default
Do you want to proceed? [y/N]

Even if you agree to install, but the target files exist, it won't proceed - don't worry if you have customized your Erlang environment already.

Once the installation is complete,

erl

$ erl
Erlang/OTP 19 [erts-8.2] [source] [64-bit] [smp:4:4] [async-threads:10] [kernel-poll:false]

Enabled docsh from: /Users/erszcz/work/erszcz/docsh
Eshell V8.2  (abort with ^G)
1>

Access docs in the shell

Let's see what docsh can give us for some OTP modules. We call

h/2

lists:keyfind

$ erl
Erlang/OTP 19 [erts-8.2] [source] [64-bit] [smp:8:8] [async-threads:10] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false]

Enabled docsh from: /Users/erszcz/work/erszcz/docsh/_build/default/lib/docsh
Call h(docsh) for interactive help.
Eshell V8.2  (abort with ^G)
1> h(proplists).
proplists
Support functions for property lists.
Property lists are ordinary lists containing entries in the form
of either tuples, whose first elements are keys used for lookup and
insertion, or atoms, which work as shorthand for tuples {Atom,
true}. (Other terms are allowed in the lists, but are ignored
by this module.) If there is more than one entry in a list for a
certain key, the first occurrence normally overrides any later
(irrespective of the arity of the tuples).
Property lists are useful for representing inherited properties,
such as options passed to a function where a user may specify options
overriding the default settings, object properties, annotations,
etc.
% @type property() = atom() | tuple()
ok
2> t(proplists).
-type property() :: atom() | tuple().
-type proplist() :: [property()].
ok
3>

Let's try with Recon:

git clone https://github.com/ferd/recon
cd recon
./rebar compile
erl -pa ebin/

Once in the Erlang shell:

Erlang/OTP 19 [erts-8.2] [source] [64-bit] [smp:8:8] [async-threads:10] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false]

Enabled docsh from: /Users/erszcz/work/erszcz/docsh/_build/default/lib/docsh
Call h(docsh) for interactive help.
Eshell V8.2  (abort with ^G)
> s(recon_trace, calls).
recon_trace:calls/2
-spec calls(tspec() | [tspec(), ...], max()) -> num_matches().
recon_trace:calls/3
-spec calls(tspec() | [tspec(), ...], max(), options()) -> num_matches().
ok
> h(recon_trace, calls, 2).
recon_trace:calls/2
-spec calls(tspec() | [tspec(), ...], max()) -> num_matches().
Equivalent to calls({Mod, Fun, Args}, Max, [])
See calls/3
ok
>

As you can see above,

s/2

recon_trace:calls/2

h/3

Try it with your project!

Embed docs in your modules

Make sure to document your code with EDoc. Then add the following to your project's

rebar.config

{plugins,
 [
  {rebar3_docsh, "0.7.2", {pkg, docsh}}
 ]}.

{provider_hooks,
 [
  {post, [{compile, {docsh, compile}}]}
 ]}.