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The built-in function page (http://docs.python.org/dev/py3k/library/functions.html) is pretty long. Each function has an anchor but unlike the built-in types section there is no quick way to get an overview or jump to a specific function (like open or print) short of scrolling through 22 pages. It would be nice to have an index of all built-in functions linked to the specific entry on the built-in functions page. This could be either somehow added to the index page (http://docs.python.org/dev/py3k/library/index.html) or to the top of the built-in functions page itself. For efficient use of real-estate multiple function names could be on one single line alphabetically sorted and separated by spaces.

The attached patch adds a 4-columns table that lists the functions without args.

+1 from me on a table at the top of the functions page.
I am assuming that the markup will induce hotlinks.
The main problem I see is the need to hand rewrite when another function is added

+1 on the general idea. I applied the patch and built the documentation to see what the output looks like: The hotlinks are here and work, that’s cool, but I think the table wastes space. You could use five columns without damaging usability (that is, summoning the hateful horizontal scrollbar), even in ×ばつ600 with an uncollapsed sidebar.
Alternative ideas like using a special unordered list with automatic CSS 3 flowing or replacing the manual table with a new Sphinx directive would take a lot of time, so consider I’m +1 on whatever you decide best.

Using cell spanning breaks "make latex" (and thus PDF), you may want to rework the reST table markup.

Here's a new patch with a 5 column tables. I had to use some rst trickery to make a decent header that works both in the HTML and Latex outputs. I put the title in the middle cell (the 3rd) of the header and left the others empty. The column cells are a little wider but they are still OK at 800x600.
Éric how do you like this version? I could also drop the header altogether, but I don't like the headless table too much.

I like this version. HTML and LaTex build without warning; all-pdf takes forever and spits out a metric ton of messages, so I haven’t checked its result.
The markup trickery is unfortunate, though, I’d like a pronouncement from Georg about that.

Committed in r86732 on py3k, will backport on 3.1/2.7 if Benjamin is OK with that.

Okay.
2010年11月24日 Ezio Melotti <report@bugs.python.org>:
>
> Ezio Melotti <ezio.melotti@gmail.com> added the comment:
>
> Committed in r86732 on py3k, will backport on 3.1/2.7 if Benjamin is OK with that.
>
> ----------
> nosy: +benjamin.peterson
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue10299>
> _______________________________________
>

Backported in r86735 (3.1) and r86736 (2.7).

In 2.7, the functions are not sorted alphabetically. I think they should, and I offer to do the boring work.

The last 4 functions are "Non-essential Built-in Functions"[0] so I kept them at the end of the list to match the order they have in the page.
[0]: http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html#non-essential-built-in-functions 

It’s fine to have them at the end of the page, but I think people want things to be sorted in an index.

I don't think it's worth changing it. The table still provides a good overview, and having them at the end won't prevent people to find their doc.
Both the table and the page could be divided in sections though, if we find a way to group all the functions that makes enough sense (e.g. put together int/dict/list/set/etc, getattr/setattr/delattr, but then it's difficult to add more groups without maxing them too small).

Dividing the table in sections makes sense to me; it provides the kind of grouping that is helpful sometimes, but cannot be kept when sorting alphabetically. So when the table is grouped, the actual docs can remain alphabetized.

Possible groups:
Types constructors: bool, bytearray, bytes, complex, dict, float, frozenset, int, list, memoryview, object, range, set, slice, str, tuple
Mathematical functions: abs, bin, divmod, hex, oct, pow, round
Working with sequences: all, any, enumerate, filter, iter, len, map, max, min, reversed, sorted, sum, zip
Working with strings: chr, format, ord
I/O: input, open, print
Introspection/metaprogramming: ascii, delattr, dir, getattr, globals, hasattr, help, id, isinstance, issubclass, locals, repr, setattr, type, vars
Advanced functions: classmethod, compile, eval, exec, hash, next, property, staticmethod, super, __import__
The last two are debatable.

By the way, I wonder why this page is named "functions" and the one for "builtins" is nearly empty.

That's legacy from the good old latex days.