Added a configuration option to show only syntax on ArgumentError.

scripts/supybot-wizard

@@ -498,6 +498,16 @@ def main():
         myPrint("""Here's some stuff you only get to choose if you're an
         advanced user :)""")
 
+        # showOnlySyntax
+        myPrint("""By default, when the bot receives a message with invalid
+        arguments, the bot returns the full help (syntax and description) of
+        the command.  If showOnlySyntax is set to True, though, the bot will
+        return just the syntax of the command.  Of course, the help will still
+        be available via the help command.""")
+        if yn('Would you like to show only the syntax of commands when '
+              'they\'re given invalid arguments?') == 'y':
+            configVariables['showOnlySyntax'] = True
+
         # replyWhenNotCommand
         myPrint("""By default, when people address your bot but don't give it
         a valid command, it'll respond with a message saying that they didn't

src/Misc.py

@@ -180,26 +180,15 @@ class Misc(callbacks.Privmsg):
         This command gives a useful description of what <command> does.
         <plugin> is only necessary if the command is in more than one plugin.
         """
-        def helpFor(method):
-            doclines = method.__doc__.splitlines()
-            simplehelp = '(%s %s)' % (method.__name__, doclines.pop(0))
-            if doclines:
-                doclines = filter(None, doclines)
-                doclines = map(str.strip, doclines)
-                help = ' '.join(doclines)
-                s = '%s -- %s' % (ircutils.bold(simplehelp), help)
-                return s
-            else:
-                return 'That command has no help.  The syntax is: %s' % \
-                       simplehelp[1:-1]
         if len(args) > 1:
             cb = irc.getCallback(args[0])
             if cb is not None:
                 command = callbacks.canonicalName(privmsgs.getArgs(args[1:]))
+                command = command.lstrip(conf.prefixChars)
                 if hasattr(cb, 'isCommand') and cb.isCommand(command):
                     method = getattr(cb, command)
                     if hasattr(method, '__doc__') and method.__doc__ != None:
-                        irc.reply(msg, helpFor(method))
+                        irc.reply(msg, callbacks.getHelp(method))
                     else:
                         irc.error(msg, 'That command has no help.')
                 else:
@@ -224,9 +213,9 @@ class Misc(callbacks.Privmsg):
             cb = cbs[0]
             method = getattr(cb, command)
             if hasattr(method, '__doc__') and method.__doc__ is not None:
-                irc.reply(msg, helpFor(method))
+                irc.reply(msg, callbacks.getHelp(method))
             else:
-                irc.error(msg, '%s has no help or syntax description.'%command)
+                irc.error(msg, '%s has no help.' % command)
 
     def hostmask(self, irc, msg, args):
         """[<nick>]

src/callbacks.py

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import string
 import inspect
 import textwrap
 import threading
+from itertools import imap, ifilter
 from cStringIO import StringIO
 
 import conf
@@ -117,6 +118,23 @@ def error(msg, s):
     """Makes an error reply to msg with the appropriate error payload."""
     return reply(msg, 'Error: ' + s)
 
+def getHelp(method, name=None):
+    if name is None:
+        name = method.__name__
+    doclines = method.__doc__.splitlines()
+    s = '(%s %s)' % (name, doclines.pop(0))
+    if doclines:
+        doclines = imap(str.strip, ifilter(None, doclines))
+        help = ' '.join(doclines)
+        s = '%s -- %s' % (ircutils.bold(s), help)
+    return s
+
+def getSyntax(method, name=None):
+    if name is None:
+        name = method.__name__
+    doclines = method.__doc__.splitlines()
+    return '%s %s' % (name, doclines[0])
+
 class RateLimiter:
     """This class is used to rate limit replies to certain people, in order to
     prevent abuse of the bot.  Basically, you put messages in with the .put
@@ -312,10 +330,12 @@ def formatArgumentError(method, name=None):
     if name is None:
         name = method.__name__
     if hasattr(method, '__doc__') and method.__doc__:
-        s = '%s %s' % (method.__name__, method.__doc__.splitlines()[0])
+        if conf.showOnlySyntax:
+            return getSyntax(method, name=name)
+        else:
+            return getHelp(method, name=name)
     else:
-        s = 'Invalid arguments for %s.' % method.__name__
-    return s
+        return 'Invalid arguments for %s.' % method.__name__
 
 class IrcObjectProxy:
     "A proxy object to allow proper nested of commands (even threaded ones)."

src/conf.py

@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ requireRegistration = False
 ###
 enablePipeSyntax = False
 
+###
+# showOnlySyntax : Supybot normally returns the full help whenever a user
+#                  misuses a command.  If this option is set to True, the bot
+#                  will only return the syntax of the command (the first line
+#                  of the docstring) rather than the full help.
+###
+showOnlySyntax = False
+
 ###
 # defaultCapabilities: Capabilities allowed to everyone by default.  You almost
 #                      certainly want to have !owner and !admin in here.
@@ -288,6 +296,7 @@ types = {
     'prefixChars': mystr,
     'detailedTracebacks': mybool,
     'driverModule': mystr,
+    'showOnlySyntax': mybool,
 }