Start sphinx-ified docs

.gitignore

@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 *.egg-info
 dist/
+docs/_build

channels/backends/base.py

@@ -61,5 +61,35 @@ def receive_many_blocking(self, channels):
                 continue
             return channel, message
 
+    def group_add(self, group, channel, expiry=None):
+        """
+        Adds the channel to the named group for at least 'expiry'
+        seconds (expiry defaults to message expiry if not provided).
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
+    def group_discard(self, group, channel):
+        """
+        Removes the channel from the named group if it is in the group;
+        does nothing otherwise (does not error)
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
+    def group_channels(self, group):
+        """
+        Returns an iterable of all channels in the group.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
+    def send_group(self, group, message):
+        """
+        Sends a message to the entire group.
+
+        This base class provides a default implementation; can be overridden
+        to be more efficient by subclasses.
+        """
+        for channel in self.group_channels():
+            self.send(channel, message)
+
     def __str__(self):
         return self.__class__.__name__

docs/Makefile

@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+# Makefile for Sphinx documentation
+#
+
+# You can set these variables from the command line.
+SPHINXOPTS    =
+SPHINXBUILD   = sphinx-build
+PAPER         =
+BUILDDIR      = _build
+
+# User-friendly check for sphinx-build
+ifeq ($(shell which $(SPHINXBUILD) >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?), 1)
+$(error The '$(SPHINXBUILD)' command was not found. Make sure you have Sphinx installed, then set the SPHINXBUILD environment variable to point to the full path of the '$(SPHINXBUILD)' executable. Alternatively you can add the directory with the executable to your PATH. If you don't have Sphinx installed, grab it from http://sphinx-doc.org/)
+endif
+
+# Internal variables.
+PAPEROPT_a4     = -D latex_paper_size=a4
+PAPEROPT_letter = -D latex_paper_size=letter
+ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) .
+# the i18n builder cannot share the environment and doctrees with the others
+I18NSPHINXOPTS  = $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) .
+
+.PHONY: help clean html dirhtml singlehtml pickle json htmlhelp qthelp devhelp epub latex latexpdf text man changes linkcheck doctest gettext
+
+help:
+	@echo "Please use \`make <target>' where <target> is one of"
+	@echo "  html       to make standalone HTML files"
+	@echo "  dirhtml    to make HTML files named index.html in directories"
+	@echo "  singlehtml to make a single large HTML file"
+	@echo "  pickle     to make pickle files"
+	@echo "  json       to make JSON files"
+	@echo "  htmlhelp   to make HTML files and a HTML help project"
+	@echo "  qthelp     to make HTML files and a qthelp project"
+	@echo "  devhelp    to make HTML files and a Devhelp project"
+	@echo "  epub       to make an epub"
+	@echo "  latex      to make LaTeX files, you can set PAPER=a4 or PAPER=letter"
+	@echo "  latexpdf   to make LaTeX files and run them through pdflatex"
+	@echo "  latexpdfja to make LaTeX files and run them through platex/dvipdfmx"
+	@echo "  text       to make text files"
+	@echo "  man        to make manual pages"
+	@echo "  texinfo    to make Texinfo files"
+	@echo "  info       to make Texinfo files and run them through makeinfo"
+	@echo "  gettext    to make PO message catalogs"
+	@echo "  changes    to make an overview of all changed/added/deprecated items"
+	@echo "  xml        to make Docutils-native XML files"
+	@echo "  pseudoxml  to make pseudoxml-XML files for display purposes"
+	@echo "  linkcheck  to check all external links for integrity"
+	@echo "  doctest    to run all doctests embedded in the documentation (if enabled)"
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf $(BUILDDIR)/*
+
+html:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b html $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/html
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The HTML pages are in $(BUILDDIR)/html."
+
+dirhtml:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b dirhtml $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/dirhtml
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The HTML pages are in $(BUILDDIR)/dirhtml."
+
+singlehtml:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b singlehtml $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/singlehtml
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The HTML page is in $(BUILDDIR)/singlehtml."
+
+pickle:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b pickle $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/pickle
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; now you can process the pickle files."
+
+json:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b json $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/json
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; now you can process the JSON files."
+
+htmlhelp:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b htmlhelp $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/htmlhelp
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; now you can run HTML Help Workshop with the" \
+	      ".hhp project file in $(BUILDDIR)/htmlhelp."
+
+qthelp:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b qthelp $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/qthelp
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; now you can run "qcollectiongenerator" with the" \
+	      ".qhcp project file in $(BUILDDIR)/qthelp, like this:"
+	@echo "# qcollectiongenerator $(BUILDDIR)/qthelp/Channels.qhcp"
+	@echo "To view the help file:"
+	@echo "# assistant -collectionFile $(BUILDDIR)/qthelp/Channels.qhc"
+
+devhelp:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b devhelp $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/devhelp
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished."
+	@echo "To view the help file:"
+	@echo "# mkdir -p $$HOME/.local/share/devhelp/Channels"
+	@echo "# ln -s $(BUILDDIR)/devhelp $$HOME/.local/share/devhelp/Channels"
+	@echo "# devhelp"
+
+epub:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b epub $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/epub
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The epub file is in $(BUILDDIR)/epub."
+
+latex:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; the LaTeX files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
+	@echo "Run \`make' in that directory to run these through (pdf)latex" \
+	      "(use \`make latexpdf' here to do that automatically)."
+
+latexpdf:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	@echo "Running LaTeX files through pdflatex..."
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BUILDDIR)/latex all-pdf
+	@echo "pdflatex finished; the PDF files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
+
+latexpdfja:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	@echo "Running LaTeX files through platex and dvipdfmx..."
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BUILDDIR)/latex all-pdf-ja
+	@echo "pdflatex finished; the PDF files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
+
+text:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b text $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/text
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The text files are in $(BUILDDIR)/text."
+
+man:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b man $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/man
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The manual pages are in $(BUILDDIR)/man."
+
+texinfo:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b texinfo $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/texinfo
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The Texinfo files are in $(BUILDDIR)/texinfo."
+	@echo "Run \`make' in that directory to run these through makeinfo" \
+	      "(use \`make info' here to do that automatically)."
+
+info:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b texinfo $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/texinfo
+	@echo "Running Texinfo files through makeinfo..."
+	make -C $(BUILDDIR)/texinfo info
+	@echo "makeinfo finished; the Info files are in $(BUILDDIR)/texinfo."
+
+gettext:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b gettext $(I18NSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/locale
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The message catalogs are in $(BUILDDIR)/locale."
+
+changes:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b changes $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/changes
+	@echo
+	@echo "The overview file is in $(BUILDDIR)/changes."
+
+linkcheck:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b linkcheck $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/linkcheck
+	@echo
+	@echo "Link check complete; look for any errors in the above output " \
+	      "or in $(BUILDDIR)/linkcheck/output.txt."
+
+doctest:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b doctest $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/doctest
+	@echo "Testing of doctests in the sources finished, look at the " \
+	      "results in $(BUILDDIR)/doctest/output.txt."
+
+xml:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b xml $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/xml
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The XML files are in $(BUILDDIR)/xml."
+
+pseudoxml:
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b pseudoxml $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/pseudoxml
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The pseudo-XML files are in $(BUILDDIR)/pseudoxml."

docs/backend-requirements.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+Channel Backend Requirements
+============================
+
+While the channel backends are pluggable, there's a minimum standard they
+must meet in terms of the way they perform.
+
+In particular, a channel backend MUST:
+
+* Provide a ``send()`` method which sends a message onto a named channel
+
+* Provide a ``receive_many()`` method which returns an available message on the
+  provided channels, or returns no message either instantly or after a short
+  delay (it must not block indefinitely)
+
+* Provide a ``group_add()`` method which adds a channel to a named group
+  for at least the provided expiry period.
+
+* Provide a ``group_discard()`` method with removes a channel from a named
+  group if it was added, and nothing otherwise.
+
+* Provide a ``group_members()`` method which returns an iterable of all
+  channels currently in the group.
+
+* Preserve the ordering of messages inside a channel
+
+* Never deliver a message more than once
+
+* Never block on sending of a message (dropping the message/erroring is preferable to blocking)
+
+* Be able to store messages of at least 5MB in size
+
+* Expire messages only after the expiry period provided is up (a backend may
+  keep them longer if it wishes, but should expire them at some reasonable
+  point to ensure users do not come to rely on permanent messages)
+
+In addition, it SHOULD:
+
+* Provide a ``receive_many_blocking()`` method which is like ``receive_many()``
+  but blocks until a message is available.
+
+* Provide a ``send_group()`` method which sends a message to every channel
+  in a group.
+
+* Try and preserve a rough global ordering, so that one busy channel does not
+  drown out an old message in another channel if a worker is listening on both.
+