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PyDoctor

Ch 176.2of 38 Documentation Generators
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac, Windows
  2. 2CostsNot stated by the maker
  3. 3Source inputsPython modules, Python packages, C modules
  4. 4API reference generationYes
  5. 5CI/CD integrationYes
  6. 6Output formatsHTML, Intersphinx inventory
  7. 7Programming languagesPython
6 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: pydoctor.readthedocs.io
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Overview

PyDoctor is ranked #17 of 38 in documentation generators on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.

Compared on documentation generators

Free plan
Yespydoctor.readthedocs.io
Source inputs
Python modules, Python packages, C modulespydoctor.readthedocs.io
API reference generation
Yespydoctor.readthedocs.io
CI/CD integration
Yespydoctor.readthedocs.io
Output formats
HTML, Intersphinx inventorypydoctor.readthedocs.io
Programming languages
Pythonpydoctor.readthedocs.io

Facts

Purpose
Pydoctor is a standalone API documentation generator that analyzes Python source code statically.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Output
It generates static HTML files that can be served without extra server-side support.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Installation
The documentation gives installation instructions through PyPI with pip and on Debian derivatives with apt.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Docstring formats
Supported docstring formats include epytext, reStructuredText, Google style, NumPy style, and plaintext.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
API pages
Pydoctor generates a page for each class, module, and package, and presents information using tables.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Inheritance and imports
The tool works to resolve imports and calculate inheritance hierarchies.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Zope interfaces
Pydoctor recognizes zope.interface declarations and can show which classes implement which interfaces, and vice versa.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Sphinx integration
Sphinx object inventories support cross-linking between pydoctor-generated API documentation and Sphinx documentation.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Configuration
Pydoctor supports configuration through pydoctor.ini, pyproject.toml, and setup.cfg files.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Customization
The CLI provides options for themes, custom HTML templates, and which API objects to document.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Supported systems
The release notes state that pydoctor should run on Windows without administrator privileges and describe testing on Windows, macOS, and Linux.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Notable limitation
Pydoctor cannot infer types for computed values, so those need annotations for the type to appear in the generated documentation.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Intended users
The documentation says pydoctor is probably best suited to documenting libraries with some degree of internal subclassing.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026
Project background
Pydoctor was written primarily to replace epydoc for the Twisted project, and Twisted remains a main driver of its development.pydoctor.readthedocs.io · 5 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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Sources