doctest handles comments incorrectly

[aschmolck]

BPO	668500
Nosy	@tim-one, @rhettinger
Files	doctest.py.PATCH

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2004-02-17.00:41:09.000>
created_at = <Date 2003-01-15.14:39:52.000>
labels = ['library']
title = 'doctest handles comments incorrectly'
updated_at = <Date 2004-02-17.00:41:09.000>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/aschmolck'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2004-02-17.00:41:09.000>
actor = 'tim.peters'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2003-01-15.14:39:52.000>
creator = 'aschmolck'
dependencies = []
files = ['4921']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 668500
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 4.0
messages = ['42430', '42431', '42432', '42433']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['tim.peters', 'rhettinger', 'aschmolck']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'rejected'
stage = None
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue668500'
versions = ['Python 2.2']

[aschmolck]

> >    import doctest, test
> >    def aTest():
> >        r""">>> # A comment
> >            ... print 'This is incorrectly ignored
by doctest'
> >            This output here really doesn't matter
either... (but SHOULD)
> >            >>>
> >            """

the patch fixes that and passes the original doctest
tests. (test_doctest and doctest.py itself)

[rhettinger]

Logged In: YES
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The file attachment didn't make it.

[tim-one]

Logged In: YES
user_id=31435

Alexander, you need to check the "Check to Upload and
Attach a File" box when trying to attach a file. This is a
SourceForge annoyance we have no control over. Please
try again!

[tim-one]

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user_id=31435

It's intentional that doctest looks for PS1 to identify lines that
begin Python statements, and I'm opposed to changing that.
The docs could be clearer on this point. I don't care that the
Python command-line shell is braindead in starting a line
following a comment with PS2. The IDLE shell, and the
PythonWin shell, are not insane in this respect, and I don't
want doctest to be in the business of guessing intent across
the union of all stupid things all Python shells do. As the docs
say, "In most cases a copy-and-paste of an interactive
console session works fine". "most" < "all", because of goofy
exceptions like this one. doctest has its own rules for
distinguishing among intial lines, continuation lines, and output
lines, and I want to keep them as simple as they are.

In your specific example, change the doctest to use PS1
instead of PS2 on the 'print' line, and it should work fine.

While I'm rejecting this patch, I'd be happy to see a patch to
make the Python command-line shell smarter in this case.