Docstring

<p>In <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">programming</a>, a docstring is a <a href="/facts/String_literal/Fj41vtVm">string literal</a> specified in <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> that is used, like a <a href="/facts/Comment_(computer_programming)/Q8hHFq8h">comment</a>, to document a specific segment of code. Unlike conventional source code comments, or even specifically formatted comments like <a href="/facts/Docblock/LEf15IAW">docblocks</a>, docstrings are not stripped from the source tree when it is <a href="/facts/Parsing/nRKB01S3">parsed</a> and are retained throughout the <a href="/facts/Runtime_(program_lifecycle_phase)/lCxKsrzB">runtime</a> of the program. This allows the programmer to inspect these comments at run time, for instance as an interactive help system, or as <a href="/facts/Metadata/qt35z79C">metadata</a>.
</p><p>Languages that support docstrings include <a href="/facts/Python_(programming_language)/YbuGqofa">Python</a>, <a href="/facts/Lisp_(programming_language)/xJHA3CrX">Lisp</a>, <a href="/facts/Elixir_(programming_language)/vX1J3cgf">Elixir</a>, <a href="/facts/Clojure/3JRNxKXx">Clojure</a>, <a href="/facts/Gherkin_(language)/hdnnb0Js">Gherkin</a>, <a href="/facts/Julia_(programming_language)/AoB0PJ9C">Julia</a> and <a href="/facts/Haskell_(programming_language)/4Htv9WLu">Haskell</a>.
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