[3.14] gh-143774 - Improve IDLE Format Paragraph doc (GH-143775) (#144062)

gh-143774 - Improve IDLE Format Paragraph doc (GH-143775)

Add a reminder to not rewrap code line to the Menu => Format => Reformat Paragraph entry.
In Editing and Nagivagion, add a new 'Format block' subsection that defines 'paragraph'
to better match what is dependably handled as more or less expected.
In particular, specify equal indents and that the resulting indent equals original indent.
Also mention that selections are expanded to complete lines and how to modify max length.

(Also fix a couple case errors in cross references.)
(cherry picked from commit fa3abf5a51d42b2d62e1bc89e9465b398a567e94)

Co-authored-by: Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>

diff --git a/Doc/library/idle.rst b/Doc/library/idle.rst
index a16f46ef812400f211c9936f2c349fde814277bb..89be225b6baae4cb4c590c7d8ab2e5bfee43f946 100644 (file)
--- a/Doc/library/idle.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/idle.rst
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ Go to Line
 
 Show Completions
    Open a scrollable list allowing selection of existing names. See
-   :ref:`Completions <completions>` in the Editing and navigation section below.
+   :ref:`Completions <completions>` in the Editing and Navigation section below.
 
 Expand Word
    Expand a prefix you have typed to match a full word in the same window;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ Expand Word
 Show Call Tip
    After an unclosed parenthesis for a function, open a small window with
    function parameter hints.  See :ref:`Calltips <calltips>` in the
-   Editing and navigation section below.
+   Editing and Navigation section below.
 
 Show Surrounding Parens
    Highlight the surrounding parenthesis.
@@ -178,9 +178,9 @@ Format menu (Editor window only)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Format Paragraph
-   Reformat the current blank-line-delimited paragraph in comment block or
-   multiline string or selected line in a string.  All lines in the
-   paragraph will be formatted to less than N columns, where N defaults to 72.
+   Rewrap the text block containing the text insert cursor.
+   Avoid code lines.  See :ref:`Format block<format-block>` in the
+   Editing and Navigation section below.
 
 Indent Region
    Shift selected lines right by the indent width (default 4 spaces).
@@ -566,6 +566,20 @@ In an editor, import statements have no effect until one runs the file.
 One might want to run a file after writing import statements, after
 adding function definitions, or after opening an existing file.
 
+.. _format-block:
+
+Format block
+^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Reformat Paragraph rewraps a block ('paragraph') of contiguous equally
+indented non-blank comments, a similar block of text within a multiline
+string, or a selected subset of either.
+If needed, add a blank line to separate string from code.
+Partial lines in a selection expand to complete lines.
+The resulting lines have the same indent as before
+but have maximum total length of N columns (characters).
+Change the default N of 72 on the Window tab of IDLE Settings.
+
 .. _code-context:
 
 Code Context

diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/help.html b/Lib/idlelib/help.html
index 9eb18d8f39b7c60492d7ba9ce8d7cb82a6370050..eda16ac5bed118b401af19cb5702028686db065e 100644 (file)
--- a/Lib/idlelib/help.html
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/help.html
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ line visible.  A request past the end of the file goes to the end.
 Clear any selection and update the line and column status.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>Show Completions</dt><dd><p>Open a scrollable list allowing selection of existing names. See
-<a class="reference internal" href="#completions"><span class="std std-ref">Completions</span></a> in the Editing and navigation section below.</p>
+<a class="reference internal" href="#completions"><span class="std std-ref">Completions</span></a> in the Editing and Navigation section below.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>Expand Word</dt><dd><p>Expand a prefix you have typed to match a full word in the same window;
 repeat to get a different expansion.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>Show Call Tip</dt><dd><p>After an unclosed parenthesis for a function, open a small window with
 function parameter hints.  See <a class="reference internal" href="#calltips"><span class="std std-ref">Calltips</span></a> in the
-Editing and navigation section below.</p>
+Editing and Navigation section below.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>Show Surrounding Parens</dt><dd><p>Highlight the surrounding parenthesis.</p>
 </dd>
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ Editing and navigation section below.</p>
 <section id="format-menu-editor-window-only">
 <span id="format-menu"></span><h3>Format menu (Editor window only)<a class="headerlink" href="#format-menu-editor-window-only" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
 <dl class="simple">
-<dt>Format Paragraph</dt><dd><p>Reformat the current blank-line-delimited paragraph in comment block or
-multiline string or selected line in a string.  All lines in the
-paragraph will be formatted to less than N columns, where N defaults to 72.</p>
+<dt>Format Paragraph</dt><dd><p>Rewrap the text block containing the text insert cursor.
+Avoid code lines.  See <a class="reference internal" href="#format-block"><span class="std std-ref">Format block</span></a> in the
+Editing and Navigation section below.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>Indent Region</dt><dd><p>Shift selected lines right by the indent width (default 4 spaces).</p>
 </dd>
@@ -443,8 +443,19 @@ will display a calltip.</p>
 One might want to run a file after writing import statements, after
 adding function definitions, or after opening an existing file.</p>
 </section>
+<section id="format-block">
+<span id="id4"></span><h3>Format block<a class="headerlink" href="#format-block" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
+<p>Reformat Paragraph rewraps a block (‘paragraph’) of contiguous equally
+indented non-blank comments, a similar block of text within a multiline
+string, or a selected subset of either.
+If needed, add a blank line to separate string from code.
+Partial lines in a selection expand to complete lines.
+The resulting lines have the same indent as before
+but have maximum total length of N columns (characters).
+Change the default N of 72 on the Window tab of IDLE Settings.</p>
+</section>
 <section id="code-context">
-<span id="id4"></span><h3>Code Context<a class="headerlink" href="#code-context" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
+<span id="id5"></span><h3>Code Context<a class="headerlink" href="#code-context" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
 <p>Within an editor window containing Python code, code context can be toggled
 in order to show or hide a pane at the top of the window.  When shown, this
 pane freezes the opening lines for block code, such as those beginning with
@@ -791,7 +802,7 @@ with the default subprocess if at all possible.</p>
 <section id="help-and-preferences">
 <h2>Help and Preferences<a class="headerlink" href="#help-and-preferences" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h2>
 <section id="help-sources">
-<span id="id5"></span><h3>Help sources<a class="headerlink" href="#help-sources" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
+<span id="id6"></span><h3>Help sources<a class="headerlink" href="#help-sources" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3>
 <p>Help menu entry “IDLE Help” displays a formatted html version of the
 IDLE chapter of the Library Reference.  The result, in a read-only
 tkinter text window, is close to what one sees in a web browser.

diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2026-01-13-01-21-20.gh-issue-143774.rqGwX1.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2026-01-13-01-21-20.gh-issue-143774.rqGwX1.rst
new file mode 100644 (file)
index 0000000..dd15d16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2026-01-13-01-21-20.gh-issue-143774.rqGwX1.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Better explain the operation of Format / Format Paragraph.