numpy / numpy/numpydoc

Justification for enquoting parameters in single backticks

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Description

https://numpydoc.readthedocs.io/en/latest/format.html#parameters states

Enclose variables in single backticks.

e.g.

x : type
    Description of parameter `x`.

Is there a specification backing this format? I have not found single backticks as valid markup in sphinx or docutils documentation. In contrast if using a default role in sphinx, this generates warning that the role traget cannot be resolved.

While that may (or may not)* work for numpy specifically, it can be a source of confusion for other projects that adopt the numpydoc style. It should at least be mentioned that single backticks can cause trouble with the default_role.

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Research direction

Read the numpydoc Parameters guidance and the linked Sphinx default_role documentation, then compare the single-backtick recommendation with the reported warning. Done means reaching a project decision on whether the guidance needs clarification and identifying the documentation change required.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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