The argparse module offers a number of classes, derived from HelpFormatter, responsible for wrapping and otherwise formatting help text for end use. There are opportunities for more robust formatting options.
Such options are available. Many work by overriding two small methods in HelpFormatter (_split_lines() and _fill_text()). Unfortunately, those methods are explicitly not public, meaning that the external formatters require a disclaimer warning of possible breakage.
Is there any interest in facilitating formatter improvements by exposing some overridable methods in HelpFormatter?
I’ve done some initial work on the subject.
This is offered as a lower-impact alternative to adding formatters to argparse. There is a longstanding bpo for such an addition.