add support for sphinx-style parameters to D417

docs/release_notes.rst

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ New Features
 * Add support for `property_decorators` config to ignore D401.
 * Add support for Python 3.10 (#554).
 * Replace D10X errors with D419 if docstring exists but is empty (#559).
+* Add support for Sphinx-style parameter descriptions to D417.
 
 Bug Fixes
 

src/pydocstyle/checker.py

@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class ConventionChecker:
         # Begins with 0 or more whitespace characters
         r"^\s*"
         # Followed by 1 or more unicode chars, numbers or underscores
-        # The above is captured as the first group as this is the paramater name.
+        # The below is captured as the first group as this is the parameter name.
         r"(\w+)"
         # Followed by 0 or more whitespace characters
         r"\s*"
@@ -129,6 +129,20 @@ class ConventionChecker:
         ".+"
     )
 
+    SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX = re(
+        # Begins with 0 or more whitespace characters
+        r"^\s*"
+        # Followed by the parameter marker
+        r":param "
+        # Followed by 1 or more unicode chars, numbers or underscores and a colon
+        # The parameter name is captured as the first group.
+        r"(\w+):"
+        # Followed by 0 or more whitespace characters
+        r"\s*"
+        # Next is the parameter description
+        r".+$"
+    )
+
     def check_source(
         self,
         source,
@@ -905,6 +919,56 @@ def _check_args_section(docstring, definition, context):
             docstring_args, definition
         )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _find_sphinx_params(lines):
+        """D417: Sphinx param section checks.
+
+        Check for a valid Sphinx-style parameter section.
+            * The section documents all function arguments (D417)
+                except `self` or `cls` if it is a method.
+
+        Documentation for each arg should start at the same indentation
+        level::
+
+            :param x: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+            :param y: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+        """
+        params = []
+        for line in lines:
+            match = ConventionChecker.SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX.match(line)
+            if match:
+                params.append(match.group(1))
+        return params
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _check_sphinx_params(lines, definition):
+        """D417: Sphinx param section checks.
+
+        Check for a valid Sphinx-style parameter section.
+            * The section documents all function arguments (D417)
+                except `self` or `cls` if it is a method.
+
+        Documentation for each arg should start at the same indentation
+        level. For example, in this case x and y are distinguishable::
+
+            :param x: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+            :param y: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+
+        In the case below, we only recognize x as a documented parameter
+        because the rest of the content is indented as if it belongs
+        to the description for x::
+
+            :param x: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+                :param y: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+        """
+        docstring_args = set(ConventionChecker._find_sphinx_params(lines))
+        if docstring_args:
+            yield from ConventionChecker._check_missing_args(
+                docstring_args, definition
+            )
+            return True
+        return False
+
     @staticmethod
     def _check_missing_args(docstring_args, definition):
         """D417: Yield error for missing arguments in docstring.
@@ -1093,10 +1157,14 @@ def check_docstring_sections(self, definition, docstring):
         found_numpy = yield from self._check_numpy_sections(
             lines, definition, docstring
         )
-        if not found_numpy:
-            yield from self._check_google_sections(
-                lines, definition, docstring
-            )
+        if found_numpy:
+            return
+
+        found_sphinx = yield from self._check_sphinx_params(lines, definition)
+        if found_sphinx:
+            return
+
+        yield from self._check_google_sections(lines, definition, docstring)
 
 
 parse = Parser()

src/tests/test_cases/sections.py

@@ -408,6 +408,18 @@ def test_missing_numpy_args(_private_arg=0, x=1, y=2):  # noqa: D406, D407
 
     """
 
+@expect(_D213)
+@expect("D417: Missing argument descriptions in the docstring "
+        "(argument(s) y are missing descriptions in "
+        "'test_missing_sphynx_args' docstring)")
+def test_missing_sphynx_args(_private_arg=0, x=1, y=2):  # noqa: D406, D407
+    """Toggle the gizmo.
+
+    :param x: The greatest integer in the history \
+of the entire world.
+
+    """
+
 
 class TestNumpy:  # noqa: D203
     """Test class."""

src/tests/test_sphinx.py

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+"""Unit tests for Sphinx-style parameter documentation rules.
+
+Use tox or pytest to run the test suite.
+"""
+from pydocstyle.checker import ConventionChecker
+import textwrap
+import pytest
+
+SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX = ConventionChecker.SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX
+
+def test_parameter_found():
+    """The regex matches a line with a parameter definition."""
+    line = "        :param x: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet\n"
+    assert SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX.match(line) is not None
+
+
+def test_parameter_name_extracted():
+    """The first match group is the parameter name."""
+    line = "        :param foo: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet\n"
+    assert SPHINX_ARGS_REGEX.match(line).group(1) == "foo"
+
+
+def test_finding_params():
+    """Sphinx-style parameter names are found."""
+    docstring = """A description of a great function.
+
+        :param foo: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+        :param bar: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+        """
+
+    lines = docstring.splitlines(keepends=True)
+    assert ConventionChecker._find_sphinx_params(lines) == ['foo', 'bar']
+
+
+def test_missing_params():
+    """Missing parameters are reported."""
+    source = textwrap.dedent('''\
+        def thing(foo, bar, baz):
+            """Do great things.
+
+            :param foo: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+            :param baz: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+            """
+            pass
+        ''')
+    errors = ConventionChecker().check_source(source, '<test>')
+    for error in errors:
+        if error.code == "D417":
+            break
+    else:
+        pytest.fail('did not find D417 error')
+
+    assert error.parameters == ('bar', 'thing')
+    assert error.message == (
+        "D417: Missing argument descriptions in the docstring (argument(s) bar are"
+        " missing descriptions in 'thing' docstring)")
+
+
+def test_missing_description():
+    """A parameter is considered missing if it has no description."""
+    source = textwrap.dedent('''\
+        def thing(foo, bar, baz):
+            """Do great things.
+
+            :param foo: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+            :param bar:
+            :param baz: Ut enim ad minim veniam
+            """
+            pass
+        ''')
+    errors = ConventionChecker().check_source(source, '<test>')
+    for error in errors:
+        if error.code == "D417":
+            break
+    else:
+        pytest.fail('did not find D417 error')
+
+    assert error.parameters == ('bar', 'thing')
+    assert error.message == (
+        "D417: Missing argument descriptions in the docstring (argument(s) bar are"
+        " missing descriptions in 'thing' docstring)")