IPython console: Add note to view own objects in the Variable Explorer

This is necessary for modules not available in the cwd.

Author: ccordoba12

spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/widgets/namespacebrowser.py

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 # Standard library imports
 import logging
+import os
 from pickle import PicklingError, UnpicklingError
 import sys
 
@@ -29,11 +30,12 @@
 # Max time before giving up when making a blocking call to the kernel
 CALL_KERNEL_TIMEOUT = 30
 
-# URL to our Github issues
+# URLs
 GH_ISSUES = "https://github.com/spyder-ide/spyder/issues/new"
 VAREXP_DONATIONS = (
     "https://www.spyder-ide.org/donate/variable-explorer-improvements"
 )
+PROJECTS_DOC_PAGE = "https://docs.spyder-ide.org/current/panes/projects.html"
 
 
 class NamepaceBrowserWidget(RichJupyterWidget):
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ class NamepaceBrowserWidget(RichJupyterWidget):
     # --- Public API --------------------------------------------------
     def get_value(self, name):
         """Ask kernel for a value"""
+        # ---- Reasons
         reason_big = _("The variable is too big to be retrieved")
         reason_not_picklable = _(
             "It was not possible to create a copy of the variable in the "
@@ -66,17 +69,12 @@ def get_value(self, name):
         reason_missing_package_installer = _(
             "The '<tt>{}</tt>' module is required to open this variable. "
             "Unfortunately, it's not part of our installer, which means your "
-            "variable can't be displayed by Spyder.<br><br>"
-            "If you want to see this fixed in the future, please donate to "
-            "this <a href='{}'>project</a>."
+            "variable can't be displayed by Spyder."
         )
         reason_missing_package = _(
             "The '<tt>{}</tt>' module is required to open this variable and "
             "it's not installed alongside Spyder. To fix this problem, please "
             "install it in the same environment that you use to run Spyder."
-            "<br><br>"
-            "If you want to see this addressed in the future, please donate "
-            "to this <a href='{}'>project</a>."
         )
         reason_mismatched_numpy = _(
             "There is a mismatch between the Numpy versions used by Spyder "
@@ -104,6 +102,23 @@ def get_value(self, name):
             "Python {} or {}."
         )
 
+        # ---- Notes
+        missing_package_note_1 = _(
+            "If you want to see this fixed in the future, please make a "
+            "donation <a href='{}'>here</a>."
+        ).format(VAREXP_DONATIONS)
+
+        # This is necessary to inform users what they need to do to explore
+        # their own objects.
+        # See spyder-ide/spyder#15988
+        missing_package_note_2 = _(
+            "If the required module is yours, you need to create a "
+            "<a href='{}'>Spyder project</a> for it or add the path where "
+            "it's located to the PYTHONPATH manager (available in the "
+            "<tt>Tools</tt> menu)."
+        ).format(PROJECTS_DOC_PAGE)
+
+        # ---- Final message
         msg = _(
             "<br>%s<br><br>"
             "<b>Note</b>: If you consider this to be a valid error that needs "
@@ -112,6 +127,7 @@ def get_value(self, name):
         ).format(GH_ISSUES)
         msg_without_note = "<br>%s"
 
+        # ---- Raise error which includes the message
         kernel_call_success = False
         show_full_msg = True
         try:
@@ -203,26 +219,43 @@ def get_value(self, name):
             if not kernel_call_success:
                 name = e.args[0].error.name
                 reason = reason_missing_package_target.format(name)
-            elif is_conda_based_app():
-                # We don't show the full message in this case so people don't
-                # report this problem to Github and instead encourage them to
-                # donate to the project that will solve the problem.
-                # See spyder-ide/spyder#24922 for the details.
-                show_full_msg = False
-                reason = reason_missing_package_installer.format(
-                    e.name, VAREXP_DONATIONS
-                )
-            elif e.name.startswith('numpy._core'):
+            elif e.name.startswith('numpy._core') and not is_conda_based_app():
                 reason = reason_mismatched_numpy
             elif e.name == 'pandas.core.indexes.numeric':
                 reason = reason_mismatched_pandas
             else:
                 # We don't show the full message in this case so people don't
                 # report this problem to Github and instead encourage them to
                 # donate to the project that will solve the problem.
+                # See spyder-ide/spyder#24922 for the details.
                 show_full_msg = False
-                reason = reason_missing_package.format(
-                    e.name, VAREXP_DONATIONS
+
+                if is_conda_based_app():
+                    opening_paragraph = reason_missing_package_installer
+                else:
+                    opening_paragraph = reason_missing_package
+
+                notes_vmargin = "0.4em" if os.name == "nt" else "0.3em"
+                notes = (
+                    "<style>"
+                    "ul, li {{margin-left: -15px}}"
+                    "li {{margin-bottom: {}}}"
+                    "</style>"
+                    "<ul>"
+                    "<li>{}</li>"
+                    "<li>{}</li>"
+                    "</ul>"
+                ).format(
+                    notes_vmargin,
+                    missing_package_note_1,
+                    missing_package_note_2,
+                )
+
+                reason = (
+                    opening_paragraph.format(e.name)
+                    + "<br><br>"
+                    + _("<b>Notes</b>:")
+                    + notes
                 )
 
             if show_full_msg: