1 files changed, 77 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/pylint/utils/docs.py b/pylint/utils/docs.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b46a0bc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pylint/utils/docs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# Licensed under the GPL: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html
+# For details: https://github.com/PyCQA/pylint/blob/main/LICENSE
+"""Various helper functions to create the docs of a linter object"""
+
+import sys
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, TextIO
+
+from pylint.constants import MAIN_CHECKER_NAME
+from pylint.utils.utils import get_rst_section, get_rst_title
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from pylint.lint.pylinter import PyLinter
+
+
+def _get_checkers_infos(linter: "PyLinter") -> Dict[str, Dict]:
+    """Get info from a checker and handle KeyError"""
+    by_checker: Dict[str, Dict] = {}
+    for checker in linter.get_checkers():
+        name = checker.name
+        if name != "master":
+            try:
+                by_checker[name]["checker"] = checker
+                by_checker[name]["options"] += checker.options_and_values()
+                by_checker[name]["msgs"].update(checker.msgs)
+                by_checker[name]["reports"] += checker.reports
+            except KeyError:
+                by_checker[name] = {
+                    "checker": checker,
+                    "options": list(checker.options_and_values()),
+                    "msgs": dict(checker.msgs),
+                    "reports": list(checker.reports),
+                }
+    return by_checker
+
+
+def _get_checkers_documentation(linter: "PyLinter") -> str:
+    """Get documentation for individual checkers"""
+    result = get_rst_title("Pylint global options and switches", "-")
+    result += """
+Pylint provides global options and switches.
+
+"""
+    for checker in linter.get_checkers():
+        name = checker.name
+        if name == MAIN_CHECKER_NAME:
+            if checker.options:
+                for section, options in checker.options_by_section():
+                    if section is None:
+                        title = "General options"
+                    else:
+                        title = f"{section.capitalize()} options"
+                    result += get_rst_title(title, "~")
+                    result += f"{get_rst_section(None, options)}\n"
+    result += get_rst_title("Pylint checkers' options and switches", "-")
+    result += """\
+
+Pylint checkers can provide three set of features:
+
+* options that control their execution,
+* messages that they can raise,
+* reports that they can generate.
+
+Below is a list of all checkers and their features.
+
+"""
+    by_checker = _get_checkers_infos(linter)
+    for checker in sorted(by_checker):
+        information = by_checker[checker]
+        checker = information["checker"]
+        del information["checker"]
+        result += checker.get_full_documentation(**information)
+    return result
+
+
+def print_full_documentation(linter: "PyLinter", stream: TextIO = sys.stdout) -> None:
+    """Output a full documentation in ReST format"""
+    print(_get_checkers_documentation(linter)[:-1], file=stream)