Proposed fix for do_inspect

jupyter_kernel/magickernel.py

@@ -261,13 +261,23 @@ def do_inspect(self, code, cursor_pos, detail_level=0):
         if cursor_pos > len(code):
             return
 
-        if len(code) > 1 and code[cursor_pos - 1] == '(':
+        if cursor_pos == len(code):
+            cursor_position = len(code) - 1
+
+        # skip over non-interesting characters:
+        while (cursor_pos - 1 > 0 and 
+               code[cursor_pos - 1] in self.split_characters):
             cursor_pos -= 1
 
-        self.log.debug(code)
-        content = {'status': 'aborted', 'data': {}, 'found': False}
+        # include only interesting characters:
+        start = cursor_pos
+        while (start - 1 >= 0 and 
+               code[start - 1] not in self.split_characters):
+            start -= 1
 
-        docstring = self.get_help_on(code[:cursor_pos], detail_level)
+        partial = code[start:cursor_pos]
+        content = {'status': 'aborted', 'data': {}, 'found': False}
+        docstring = self.get_help_on(partial, detail_level)
 
         if docstring:
             content["data"] = {"text/plain": docstring}

jupyter_kernel/tests/test_magickernel.py

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import re
 from jupyter_kernel.tests.utils import get_kernel, get_log_text
 
 
@@ -111,20 +112,20 @@ def do_execute_direct(self, code):
     message = resp['payload'][0]['data']['text/plain']
     assert "Sorry, no help is available on 'dir?'." == message, message
 
-    comp = kernel.parse_code('dir', 0, len('dir'))
-    assert (comp["start"] == 0 and 
-            comp["end"] ==  3 and 
-            comp["obj"] == "dir"), comp
+    content = kernel.do_inspect('dir', len('dir'))
+    message = content["data"]["text/plain"]
+    match = re.match("Sorry, no help is available on '(.*)'", message)
+    assert match.groups()[0] == "dir", message + " for 'dir'"
 
-    comp = kernel.parse_code('len(dir', 0, len('len(dir'))
-    assert (comp["start"] == 4 and 
-            comp["end"] ==  7 and 
-            comp["obj"] == "dir"), comp
+    content = kernel.do_inspect('len(dir', len('len(dir'))
+    message = content["data"]["text/plain"]
+    match = re.match("Sorry, no help is available on '(.*)'", message)
+    assert match.groups()[0] == "dir", message + " for 'len(dir'"
 
-    comp = kernel.parse_code('(dir', 0, len('(dir'))
-    assert (comp["start"] == 1 and 
-            comp["end"] ==  4 and 
-            comp["obj"] == "dir"), comp
+    content = kernel.do_inspect('(dir', len('(dir'))
+    message = content["data"]["text/plain"]
+    match = re.match("Sorry, no help is available on '(.*)'", message)
+    assert match.groups()[0] == "dir", message + " for '(dir'"
 
 def teardown():
     if os.path.exists("TEST.txt"):