Jan 7, 2026 · Jan 7, 2026
diff --git a/Lib/pydoc.py b/Lib/pydoc.py
        while True:
            try:
                request = self.getline('help> ')
                if not request: break
            except (KeyboardInterrupt, EOFError):
                break
            request = request.strip()
            if not request:
                continue  # back to the prompt

            # Make sure significant trailing quoting marks of literals don't
            # get deleted while cleaning input
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pydoc/test_pydoc.py b/Lib/test/test_pydoc/test_pydoc.py


 class TestHelper(unittest.TestCase):
    def mock_interactive_session(self, inputs):
        """
        Given a list of inputs, run an interactive help session.  Returns a string
        of what would be shown on screen.
        """
        input_iter = iter(inputs)

        def mock_getline(prompt):
            output.write(prompt)
            next_input = next(input_iter)
            output.write(next_input + os.linesep)
            return next_input

        with captured_stdout() as output:
            helper = pydoc.Helper(output=output)
            with unittest.mock.patch.object(helper, "getline", mock_getline):
                helper.interact()

        # handle different line endings across platforms consistently
        return output.getvalue().strip().splitlines(keepends=False)

    def test_keywords(self):
        self.assertEqual(sorted(pydoc.Helper.keywords),
                         sorted(keyword.kwlist))

    def test_interact_empty_line_continues(self):
        # gh-138568: test pressing Enter without input should continue in help session
        self.assertEqual(
            self.mock_interactive_session(["", "    ", "quit"]),
            ["help> ", "help>     ", "help> quit"],
        )

    def test_interact_quit_commands_exit(self):
        quit_commands = ["quit", "q", "exit"]
        for quit_cmd in quit_commands:
            with self.subTest(quit_command=quit_cmd):
                self.assertEqual(
                    self.mock_interactive_session([quit_cmd]),
                    [f"help> {quit_cmd}"],
                )


 class PydocWithMetaClasses(unittest.TestCase):
    def tearDown(self):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2025-09-06-08-29-08.gh-issue-138568.iZlalC.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2025-09-06-08-29-08.gh-issue-138568.iZlalC.rst
 Adjusted the built-in :func:`help` function so that empty inputs are ignored in
 interactive mode.
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -2028,10 +2028,11 @@ def interact(self):
		while True:
		try:
		request = self.getline('help> ')
		if not request: break
		except (KeyboardInterrupt, EOFError):
		break
		request = request.strip()
		if not request:
		continue # back to the prompt

		# Make sure significant trailing quoting marks of literals don't
		# get deleted while cleaning input
Expand Down
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -2175,10 +2175,47 @@ def test_url_requests(self):


		class TestHelper(unittest.TestCase):
		def mock_interactive_session(self, inputs):
		"""
		Given a list of inputs, run an interactive help session. Returns a string
		of what would be shown on screen.
		"""
		input_iter = iter(inputs)

		def mock_getline(prompt):
		output.write(prompt)
		next_input = next(input_iter)
		output.write(next_input + os.linesep)
		return next_input

		with captured_stdout() as output:
		helper = pydoc.Helper(output=output)
		with unittest.mock.patch.object(helper, "getline", mock_getline):
		helper.interact()

		# handle different line endings across platforms consistently
		return output.getvalue().strip().splitlines(keepends=False)

		def test_keywords(self):
		self.assertEqual(sorted(pydoc.Helper.keywords),
		sorted(keyword.kwlist))

		def test_interact_empty_line_continues(self):
		# gh-138568: test pressing Enter without input should continue in help session
		self.assertEqual(
		self.mock_interactive_session(["", " ", "quit"]),
		["help> ", "help> ", "help> quit"],
		)

		def test_interact_quit_commands_exit(self):
		quit_commands = ["quit", "q", "exit"]
		for quit_cmd in quit_commands:
		with self.subTest(quit_command=quit_cmd):
		self.assertEqual(
		self.mock_interactive_session([quit_cmd]),
		[f"help> {quit_cmd}"],
		)


		class PydocWithMetaClasses(unittest.TestCase):
		def tearDown(self):
Expand Down
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
		@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
		Adjusted the built-in :func:`help` function so that empty inputs are ignored in
		interactive mode.