Add --docformat argument for reStructuredText or plaintext input

README.md

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ Prominent features include:
   [namedtuple](http://docs.python.org/2.7/library/collections.html#namedtuple-factory-function-for-tuples-with-named-fields)),
   the special variable `__pdoc__` can be used in your module to
   document any identifier in your public interface.
-* Usage is simple. Just write your documentation as Markdown. There are no 
-  added special syntax rules.
+* Usage is simple. Just write all your docstring documentation as Markdown
+  (default), or reStructuredText. There are no added special syntax rules.
 * `pdoc` respects your `__all__` variable when present.
 * `pdoc` will automatically link identifiers in your docstrings to its
   corresponding documentation.

pdoc/__init__.py

@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@ def __init__(self):
 
 
 def html(module_name, docfilter=None, allsubmodules=False,
-         external_links=False, link_prefix='', source=True):
+         external_links=False, link_prefix='', source=True,
+         docformat="markdown"):
     """
     Returns the documentation for the module `module_name` in HTML
     format. The module must be importable.
@@ -262,12 +263,17 @@ def html(module_name, docfilter=None, allsubmodules=False,
     If `source` is `True`, then source code will be retrieved for
     every Python object whenever possible. This can dramatically
     decrease performance when documenting large modules.
+
+    Argument `docformat` should be a string like `'markdown'`, or
+    `'restructuredtext'` or `'plaintext'` which specifies how the
+    docstring text should be processed.
     """
     mod = Module(import_module(module_name),
                  docfilter=docfilter,
                  allsubmodules=allsubmodules)
     return mod.html(external_links=external_links,
-                    link_prefix=link_prefix, source=source)
+                    link_prefix=link_prefix, source=source,
+                    docformat=docformat)
 
 
 def text(module_name, docfilter=None, allsubmodules=False):
@@ -653,7 +659,7 @@ def text(self):
         return text
 
     def html(self, external_links=False, link_prefix='',
-             source=True, **kwargs):
+             source=True, docformat="markdown", **kwargs):
         """
         Returns the documentation for this module as
         self-contained HTML.
@@ -668,13 +674,17 @@ def html(self, external_links=False, link_prefix='',
         every Python object whenever possible. This can dramatically
         decrease performance when documenting large modules.
 
+        `docformat` should be `'markdown'` or `'restructuredtext'`
+        and specified how the docstring text should be processed.
+
         `kwargs` is passed to the `mako` render function.
         """
         t = _get_tpl('/html.mako')
         t = t.render(module=self,
                      external_links=external_links,
                      link_prefix=link_prefix,
                      show_source_code=source,
+                     docformat=docformat,
                      **kwargs)
         return t.strip()
 

pdoc/templates/html.mako

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
   import re
   import sys
 
+  import docutils
+  import docutils.core
   import markdown
   try:
     import pygments
@@ -65,11 +67,19 @@
     if not module_list:
       s, _ = re.subn('`[^`]+`', linkify, s)
 
-    extensions = []
-    if use_pygments:
-      extensions = ['markdown.extensions.codehilite(linenums=False)']
-    s = markdown.markdown(s.strip(), extensions=extensions)
-    return s
+    if docformat == "markdown":
+      extensions = []
+      if use_pygments:
+        extensions = ['markdown.extensions.codehilite(linenums=False)']
+      m = markdown.markdown(s.strip(), extensions=extensions)
+    elif docformat == "restructuredtext":
+      m = docutils.core.publish_parts(s, writer_name='html')['html_body']
+    else:
+      # e.g. plaintext
+      m = "<pre>%s</pre>" % s
+    # For debugging:
+    # m = "<p>Given:</p><pre>%s</pre>\n<p>Treated as %s, giving:</p>\n%s" % (s, docformat, m)
+    return m
 
   def glimpse(s, length=100):
     if len(s) < length:

scripts/pdoc

@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ aa('ident_name', type=str, nargs='?',
         'Has no effect when --http is set.')
 aa('--version', action='store_true',
    help='Print the version of pdoc and exit.')
+aa('--docformat', type=str, default='markdown',
+   help='The markup language used for the docstring content.',
+   choices=['markdown', 'restructuredtext', 'plaintext'])
 aa('--html', action='store_true',
    help='When set, the output will be HTML formatted.')
 aa('--html-dir', type=str, default='.',
@@ -339,7 +342,8 @@ def html_out(m, html=True):
                 out = m.html(external_links=args.external_links,
                              link_prefix=args.link_prefix,
                              http_server=args.http_html,
-                             source=not args.html_no_source)
+                             source=not args.html_no_source,
+			     docformat=args.docformat)
             print(out, file=w)
     except Exception:
         try:

setup.py

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
                ],
     scripts=['scripts/pdoc'],
     provides=['pdoc'],
-    requires=['argparse', 'mako', 'markdown'],
+    requires=['argparse', 'docutils', 'mako', 'markdown'],
     install_requires=install_requires,
     extras_require={'syntax_highlighting': ['pygments']},
 )