[smart_holder] Alternative to #2621

docs/advanced/misc.rst

@@ -365,6 +365,71 @@ Note that changes to the settings affect only function bindings created during t
 lifetime of the ``options`` instance. When it goes out of scope at the end of the module's init function,
 the default settings are restored to prevent unwanted side effects.
 
+Overloaded functions
+--------------------
+
+The docstring of an overloaded function is prepended with the signature of each overload.
+All overload docstrings are then concatenated together
+into sections that are separated by each function signature.
+The prepended signatures can be read by tools like Sphinx.
+
+.. code-block:: cpp
+
+    PYBIND11_MODULE(example, m) {
+        m.def("add", [](int a, int b)->int { return a + b; },
+          "Add two integers together.");
+        m.def("add", [](float a, float b)->float { return a + b; },
+          "Add two floating point numbers together.");
+    }
+
+The above example would produce the following docstring:
+
+.. code-block:: pycon
+
+    >>> help(example.add)
+
+    add(...)
+     |      Overloaded function:
+     |
+     |      1. add(arg0: int, arg1: int) -> int
+     |
+     |      Add two integers together.
+     |
+     |      2. add(arg0: float, arg1: float) -> float
+     |
+     |      Add two floating point numbers together.
+
+Calling ``options.disable_function_signatures()`` as shown previously
+will cause the docstrings of overloaded functions to be generated without the section headings.
+
+.. code-block:: cpp
+
+    PYBIND11_MODULE(example, m) {
+        py::options options;
+        options.disable_function_signatures();
+
+        m.def("add", [](int a, int b)->int { return a + b; },
+          "A function which adds two numbers.\n");  // Note the additional newline here.
+        m.def("add", [](float a, float b)->float { return a + b; },
+          "Internally, a simple addition is performed.");
+        m.def("add", [](const py::none&, const py::none&)->py::none { return py::none(); },
+          "Both numbers can be None, and None will be returned.");
+    }
+
+The above example would produce the following docstring:
+
+.. code-block:: pycon
+
+    >>> help(example.add)
+    add(...)
+     |      A function which adds two numbers.
+     |
+     |      Internally, a simple addition is performed.
+     |      Both numbers can be None, and None will be returned.
+
+Not every overload must supply a docstring.
+You may find it easier for a single overload to supply the entire docstring.
+
 .. [#f4] http://www.sphinx-doc.org
 .. [#f5] http://github.com/pybind/python_example
 

include/pybind11/pybind11.h

@@ -613,10 +613,7 @@ class cpp_function : public function {
         /* Create a nice pydoc rec including all signatures and
            docstrings of the functions in the overload chain */
         if (chain && options::show_function_signatures()) {
-            // First a generic signature
-            signatures += rec->name;
-            signatures += "(*args, **kwargs)\n";
-            signatures += "Overloaded function.\n\n";
+            signatures += "Overloaded function:\n\n";
         }
         // Then specific overload signatures
         bool first_user_def = true;

tests/test_docstring_options.cpp

@@ -27,8 +27,30 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(docstring_options, m) {
         m.def("test_overloaded3", [](int) {}, py::arg("i"));
         m.def("test_overloaded3", [](double) {}, py::arg("d"), "Overload docstr");
 
+        m.def(
+            "test_overloaded4",
+            [](int a, int b) -> int { return a + b; },
+            "A function which adds two numbers.\n");
+        m.def(
+            "test_overloaded4",
+            [](float a, float b) -> float { return a + b; },
+            "Internally, a simple addition is performed.");
+        m.def(
+            "test_overloaded4",
+            [](const py::none &, const py::none &) -> py::none { return py::none(); },
+            "Both numbers can be None, and None will be returned.");
+
         options.enable_function_signatures();
 
+        m.def(
+            "test_overloaded5",
+            [](int a, int b) -> int { return a + b; },
+            "Add two integers together.");
+        m.def(
+            "test_overloaded5",
+            [](float a, float b) -> float { return a + b; },
+            "Add two floating point numbers together.");
+
         m.def("test_function3", [](int, int) {}, py::arg("a"), py::arg("b"));
         m.def("test_function4", [](int, int) {}, py::arg("a"), py::arg("b"), "A custom docstring");
 

tests/test_docstring_options.py

@@ -18,6 +18,25 @@ def test_docstring_options():
     # docstring on only second overload:
     assert m.test_overloaded3.__doc__ == "Overload docstr"
 
+    # Check overload configuration behaviour matches the documentation
+    assert m.test_overloaded4.__doc__ == (
+        "A function which adds two numbers.\n\n"
+        "Internally, a simple addition is performed.\n"
+        "Both numbers can be None, and None will be returned."
+    )
+
+    assert m.test_overloaded5.__doc__ == (
+        "Overloaded function:\n"
+        "\n"
+        "1. test_overloaded5(arg0: int, arg1: int) -> int\n"
+        "\n"
+        "Add two integers together.\n"
+        "\n"
+        "2. test_overloaded5(arg0: float, arg1: float) -> float\n"
+        "\n"
+        "Add two floating point numbers together.\n"
+    )
+
     # options.enable_function_signatures()
     assert m.test_function3.__doc__.startswith("test_function3(a: int, b: int) -> None")
 

tests/test_factory_constructors.py

@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ def test_init_factory_signature(msg):
     assert (
         msg(m.TestFactory1.__init__.__doc__)
         == """
-        __init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        Overloaded function.
+        Overloaded function:
 
         1. __init__(self: m.factory_constructors.TestFactory1, arg0: m.factory_constructors.tag.unique_ptr_tag, arg1: int) -> None