pry/pry · warning · Pry::CommandError

No docs found for: #{obj_name || 'current context'}

Error message

No docs found for: #{obj_name || 'current context'}

What it means

Thrown by `show-doc` when the requested code object is found but its documentation string is empty. render_doc_markup_for calls docs_for(code_object); for non-command objects, an empty docs string triggers this error — i.e. the method/class simply has no comment above it (or no YARD docs where relevant).

Source

Thrown at lib/pry/commands/show_doc.rb:42

      # The docs for code_object prepared for display.
      def content_for(code_object)
        Code.new(
          render_doc_markup_for(code_object),
          start_line_for(code_object),
          :text
        ).with_line_numbers(use_line_numbers?).to_s
      end

      # process the markup (if necessary) and apply colors
      def render_doc_markup_for(code_object)
        docs = docs_for(code_object)

        if code_object.command?
          # command '--help' shouldn't use markup highlighting
          docs
        else
          if docs.empty?
            raise CommandError, "No docs found for: #{obj_name || 'current context'}"
          end

          process_comment_markup(docs)
        end
      end

      # Return docs for the code_object, adjusting for whether the code_object
      # has yard docs available, in which case it returns those.
      # (note we only have to check yard docs for modules since they can
      # have multiple docs, but methods can only be doc'd once so we
      # dont need to check them)
      def docs_for(code_object)
        if code_object.module_with_yard_docs?
          # yard docs
          code_object.yard_doc
        else
          # normal docs (i.e comments above method/module/command)
          code_object.doc

View on GitHub (pinned to 1356402628)

Solutions

1. Install pry-doc to get docs for C-defined core/stdlib methods: `gem install pry-doc`
2. For your own code, add a comment above the method/class and retry
3. Use `show-source <name>` instead when you want the implementation rather than the docs

Example fix

# before
show-doc Array#map
# No docs found for: Array#map

# after (shell)
gem install pry-doc
# in a new pry session
show-doc Array#map

# confirm non-empty docs before show-doc
obj = Pry::CodeObject.lookup('Array#map', _pry_)
obj && !obj.doc.to_s.strip.empty?

def documented?(name, pry)
  obj = Pry::CodeObject.lookup(name, pry)
  !obj.nil? && !obj.doc.to_s.strip.empty?
end

begin
  pry_instance.run 'show-doc', name
rescue Pry::CommandError => e
  raise unless e.message.include?('No docs found')
  pry_instance.run 'show-source', name # fall back to the implementation
end

When it happens

Trigger: Running `show-doc Array#map`, `show-doc String#gsub` or other core methods without the pry-doc gem installed (no C-source comments available); calling show-doc on your own undocumented methods or classes.

Common situations: Fresh Pry installs without pry-doc; inspecting C-defined core/stdlib methods; codebases that don't comment methods.

Related errors

• Cannot locate this method: #{name}.
• Exception has no associated file.
• Cannot edit exceptions raised in REPL.
• No help found for '#{args.first}'
• Must provide a file name.

AI-assisted analysis of pry/pry@1356402628 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/59755534b0153f43. Report an issue: GitHub.