Python · maintainability

duplicated-override-docstring

python:duplicated-override-docstring

Remove an override docstring copied verbatim from its local base method.

Code: SARJ084
Default: error
Fix: none
Languages: python

Why

Inherited documentation is already discoverable, while a duplicate adds a second copy that can drift.

Fix

Delete the copied docstring, or rewrite it only when the override has behavior-specific information to add.

Before / after

Executed by this rule’s unit tests.

Before

Override repeats its base method documentation

app/store.py · focus

class Store:
    def get(self, key: str) -> str:
        """Get a value by key."""
        return key

class MemoryStore(Store):
    def get(self, key: str) -> str:
        """Get a value by key."""
        return key

After

Override documents its distinct behavior

app/store.py · focus

class Store:
    def get(self, key: str) -> str:
        """Get a value by key."""
        return key

class ReplicaStore(Store):
    def get(self, key: str) -> str:
        """Get a value from the read replica."""
        return key

Limits

Only methods whose base class is defined under an undotted name in the same file are compared.
Overloads, generated files, undocumented bases, and methods whose docstring is their entire body are excluded.