Micropython Typesheds (formerly known as Pyboard Typesheds)

Rich typeshed (a.k.a.: type hints, interface stubs, and .pyi files) for MicroPython. They are rich typesheds because they give help document for functions/methods, function/method arguments, function/method return types, method overloads, classes, modules, protocols, and constants/fields/properties. These typesheds are useful for IDEs that understand type hints, like PyCharm and VSCode, and for IDE plugins like the PyCharm's MicroPython plugin.

What the typesheds do

Once installed, see next section, the typesheds offer:

1. Code completion (in this case prompting completion for pyb):
   

2. Rich help text (in this case constructor for LCD160CR showing argument types, argument defaults, return types and overloads as well as a description):
   

3. Type errors (in this case a float instead of an int):
   

4. Typos (in this case colour instead of color; error can be avoided by using code completion, see point 1 above):
   

Using the typesheds

There are four ways of installing the Typesheds: via an IDE plugin, manually install into the IDE, use PyPI, copy the .pyi files into a project, and manually copy the .pyi files into a project.

Via an IDE plugin

For PyCharm

Currently, December 2021, JetBrains have added many of these typesheds to their MicroPython plugin (many thanks to JetBrains and in particular Andrey Vlasovskikh). Therefore, installing the JetBrains Micropython plugin will be the easiest solution and also the typesheds will get updated everytime the plugin is updated:

1. Install the MicroPython plugin.

2. Enable the plugin for the project (two stages in project preferences/options: add the plugin to the project and then select options in the plugin):
   

The other options, below, unfortunately require manual updating and are more involved (though not difficult).

Manually install in an IDE

For PyCharm

If the very latest typesheds are required then they can be installed from this repository directly.

Note: The following procedure, below, only needs to be done for one project; after which all projects using the MicroPython plugin will pick up the typesheds.

1. Install and enable the plugin, see previous section above.

2. Download the ZIPed .pyi files from GitHub:
   

3. Unpack the ZIP file.

4. Drag (or copy and past) the .pyi (only) files into the Micropython Plugin (see image for which directory to put each file in):
   

5. Disable and re-enable plugin by going to preferences/options un-tick Micropython support and Apply then re-tick MicroPython support and OK (so that it picks up the changes):
   

Use PyPI to copy the .pyi files into a project or IDE

1. Install the typesheds' installer

    pip install --upgrade micropython-typesheds

2. Copy the typesheds to where they are required. EG typeshed location for IDE or plugin or top level of project. Note: The following command, below, needs to be done for all required locations:

    python -m micropython_typesheds <destination-directory>

Copy .pyi files into a project

Note: The following procedure, below, needs to be done for all projects:

1. Download the ZIPed .pyi files from GitHub:
   

2. Unpack the ZIP file.

3. Drag the .pyi (only) files from directory micropython_typesheds into the top level of a project:
   

Philosophy

The typesheds are generated by https://github.com/hlovatt/PyBoardTypeshedGenerator from the MicroPython .rst doc files.

The philosophy of generating the typesheds is to take a superset of what is in the docs and what is listed by the dir command on a MicroPython board (the docs and dir don't agree!). An example of the dir command having more information than the docs is the docs for pyb.Pin mentions board and cpu classes and implies they contain declarations of available Pins; dir(pyb.Pin.cpu) on the other hand lists the Pins, therefore the generated typeshed contains board and cpu with Pin definitions.