npm package: @stdlib/repl-help
Description: Return help text associated with a provided alias.
Author: The Stdlib Authors
Latest version: 0.4.1

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<details>
  <summary>
    About stdlib...
  </summary>
  <p>We believe in a future in which the web is a preferred environment for numerical computation. To help realize this future, we've built stdlib. stdlib is a standard library, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computation, written in JavaScript (and C) for execution in browsers and in Node.js.</p>
  <p>The library is fully decomposable, being architected in such a way that you can swap out and mix and match APIs and functionality to cater to your exact preferences and use cases.</p>
  <p>When you use stdlib, you can be absolutely certain that you are using the most thorough, rigorous, well-written, studied, documented, tested, measured, and high-quality code out there.</p>
  <p>To join us in bringing numerical computing to the web, get started by checking us out on <a href="https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib">GitHub</a>, and please consider <a href="https://opencollective.com/stdlib">financially supporting stdlib</a>. We greatly appreciate your continued support!</p>
</details>

# Help

[![NPM version][npm-image]][npm-url] [![Build Status][test-image]][test-url] [![Coverage Status][coverage-image]][coverage-url] <!-- [![dependencies][dependencies-image]][dependencies-url] -->

> Return help text associated with a provided alias.

<!-- Section to include introductory text. Make sure to keep an empty line after the intro `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->

<section class="intro">

</section>

<!-- /.intro -->

<!-- Package usage documentation. -->

<section class="installation">

## Installation

```bash
npm install @stdlib/repl-help
```

</section>

<section class="usage">

## Usage

```javascript
var help = require( '@stdlib/repl-help' );
```

#### help( alias )

Returns help text for a provided alias.

```javascript
var txt = help( 'base.sin' );
// returns <string>
```

If provided an unrecognized `alias`, the function returns `null`.

```javascript
var txt = help( 'unrecognized_alias_beep_boop_bop_bip' );
// returns null
```

</section>

<!-- /.usage -->

<!-- Package usage notes. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->

<section class="notes">

</section>

<!-- /.notes -->

<!-- Package usage examples. -->

<section class="examples">

## Examples

<!-- TODO: better example -->

<!-- eslint no-undef: "error" -->

```javascript
var discreteUniform = require( '@stdlib/random-base-discrete-uniform' );
var aliases = require( '@stdlib/namespace-aliases' );
var help = require( '@stdlib/repl-help' );

var list;
var len;
var idx;
var i;

list = aliases();
len = list.length;

for ( i = 0; i < 100; i++ ) {
    idx = discreteUniform( 0, len-1 );
    console.log( help( list[ idx ] ) );
}
```

</section>

<!-- /.examples -->

<!-- Section for describing a command-line interface. -->



<!-- Section to include cited references. If references are included, add a horizontal rule *before* the section. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->

<section class="references">

</section>

<!-- /.references -->

<!-- <license> -->

## License

The data files (databases) are licensed under an [Open Data Commons Public Domain Dedication & License 1.0][pddl-1.0] and their contents are licensed under [Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal][cc0]. The software is licensed under [Apache License, Version 2.0][apache-license].

<!-- </license> -->

<!-- Section for related `stdlib` packages. Do not manually edit this section, as it is automatically populated. -->

<section class="related">

## See Also

-   <span class="package-name">[`@stdlib/repl-help-cli`][@stdlib/repl-help-cli]</span><span class="delimiter">: </span><span class="description">CLI package for use as a command-line utility.</span>


</section>

<!-- /.related -->

<!-- Section for all links. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->


<section class="main-repo" >

* * *

## Notice

This package is part of [stdlib][stdlib], a standard library for JavaScript and Node.js, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computing. The library provides a collection of robust, high performance libraries for mathematics, statistics, streams, utilities, and more.

For more information on the project, filing bug reports and feature requests, and guidance on how to develop [stdlib][stdlib], see the main project [repository][stdlib].

#### Community

[![Chat][chat-image]][chat-url]

---

## Copyright

Copyright &copy; 2016-2026. The Stdlib [Authors][stdlib-authors].

</section>

<!-- /.stdlib -->

<!-- Section for all links. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->

<section class="links">

[@stdlib/repl-help-cli]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/repl-help-cli

[npm-image]: http://img.shields.io/npm/v/@stdlib/repl-help.svg
[npm-url]: https://npmjs.org/package/@stdlib/repl-help

[test-image]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg?branch=v0.4.1
[test-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/actions/workflows/test.yml?query=branch:v0.4.1

[coverage-image]: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/stdlib-js/repl-help/main.svg
[coverage-url]: https://codecov.io/github/stdlib-js/repl-help?branch=main

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[dependencies-image]: https://img.shields.io/david/stdlib-js/repl-help.svg
[dependencies-url]: https://david-dm.org/stdlib-js/repl-help/main

-->

[chat-image]: https://img.shields.io/badge/zulip-join_chat-brightgreen.svg
[chat-url]: https://stdlib.zulipchat.com

[stdlib]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib

[stdlib-authors]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib/graphs/contributors

[cli-section]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help#cli
[cli-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/tree/cli
[@stdlib/repl-help]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/tree/main

[umd]: https://github.com/umdjs/umd
[es-module]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Modules

[deno-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/tree/deno
[deno-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/blob/deno/README.md
[umd-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/tree/umd
[umd-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/blob/umd/README.md
[esm-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/tree/esm
[esm-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/blob/esm/README.md
[branches-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/repl-help/blob/main/branches.md

[pddl-1.0]: http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/pddl/1.0/

[cc0]: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0

[apache-license]: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

</section>

<!-- /.links -->