diff --git a/docs/advanced/misc.rst b/docs/advanced/misc.rst index 7798462df..0a73dae7e 100644 --- a/docs/advanced/misc.rst +++ b/docs/advanced/misc.rst @@ -304,3 +304,34 @@ the default settings are restored to prevent unwanted side effects. .. [#f4] http://www.sphinx-doc.org .. [#f5] http://github.com/pybind/python_example + +.. _avoiding-cpp-types-in-docstrings: + +Avoiding C++ types in docstrings +================================ + +Docstrings are generated at the time of the declaration, e.g. when ``.def(...)`` is called. +At this point parameter and return types should be known to pybind11. +If a custom type is not exposed yet through a ``py::class_`` constructor or a custom type caster, +its C++ type name will be used instead to generate the signature in the docstring: + +.. code-block:: text + + | __init__(...) + | __init__(self: example.Foo, arg0: ns::Bar) -> None + ^^^^^^^ + + +This limitation can be circumvented by ensuring that C++ classes are registered with pybind11 +before they are used as a parameter or return type of a function: + +.. code-block:: cpp + + PYBIND11_MODULE(example, m) { + + auto pyFoo = py::class_(m, "Foo"); + auto pyBar = py::class_(m, "Bar"); + + pyFoo.def(py::init()); + pyBar.def(py::init()); + }