issue #170: add TimerList docstrings.

mitogen/parent.py

@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ def write_all(fd, s, deadline=None):
 
 class Timer(object):
     """
-    Represents an unexpired timed callback.
+    Represents a future event.
     """
     def __init__(self, timer_list, when, func):
         self.timer_list = timer_list
@@ -595,12 +595,32 @@ class Timer(object):
         return self.when < other.when
 
     def cancel(self):
+        """
+        Cancel this event. If it has not yet executed, it will not execute
+        during any subsequent :meth:`TimerList.expire` call.
+        """
         self.cancelled = True
 
 
 class TimerList(object):
     """
-    Represent a series of future events.
+    Efficiently manage a list of cancellable future events relative to wall
+    clock time. An instance of this class is installed as
+    :attr:`mitogen.master.Broker.timers` by default, and installed as
+    :attr:`mitogen.core.Broker.timers` in a child context after a call to
+    :func:`mitogen.parent.upgrade_router`.
+
+    You can use :class:`TimerList` to cause the broker to wake at arbitrary
+    future moments, useful for implementing timeouts and polling in an
+    asynchronous context.
+
+    :class:`TimerList` methods can only be called from asynchronous context,
+    for example via :meth:`mitogen.core.Broker.defer`.
+
+    The broker automatically adjusts its sleep delay according to the installed
+    timer list, and arranges for timers to expire via automatic calls to
+    :meth:`expire`. The main user interface to :class:`TimerList` is
+    :meth:`schedule`.
     """
     _now = time.time
 
@@ -608,15 +628,36 @@ class TimerList(object):
         self._lst = []
 
     def get_timeout(self):
+        """
+        Return the floating point seconds until the next event is due.
+        
+        :returns:
+            Floating point delay, or 0.0, or :data:`None` if no events are
+            scheduled.
+        """
         if self._lst:
             return max(0, self._lst[0].when - self._now())
 
     def schedule(self, when, func):
+        """
+        Schedule a new future event.
+
+        :param float when:
+            UNIX time in seconds when event should occur.
+        :param callable func:
+            Callable to invoke on expiry.
+        :returns:
+            A :class:`Timer` instance, exposing :meth:`Timer.cancel`, which may
+            be used to cancel the future invocation.
+        """
         timer = Timer(self, when, func)
         heapq.heappush(self._lst, timer)
         return timer
 
     def expire(self):
+        """
+        Invoke callbacks for any events in the past.
+        """
         now = self._now()
         while self._lst and self._lst[0].when <= now:
             timer = heapq.heappop(self._lst)
@@ -786,7 +827,7 @@ def _upgrade_broker(broker):
     finally:
         root.setLevel(old_level)
 
-    broker.timer_list = TimerList()
+    broker.timers = TimerList()
     LOG.debug('replaced %r with %r (new: %d readers, %d writers; '
               'old: %d readers, %d writers)', old, new,
               len(new.readers), len(new.writers),