Skip to main content
POST
/
tools
/
get_hover
Get Hover
curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.example.com/tools/get_hover
{
  "contents": "<string>",
  "range": {
    "start": {},
    "end": {}
  }
}

​
Overview

Get detailed documentation, type information, and examples when hovering over any Python symbol. This provides the same information you see in your IDE’s hover tooltips.

​
Request

​
uri
string
required
File URI (e.g., file:///workspace/main.py)
​
line
number
required
Line number (0-indexed)
​
character
number
required
Character position (0-indexed)

​
Response

​
contents
string
Markdown-formatted documentation
​
range
object
Text range of the hovered symbol

​
Example Request

curl -X POST https://api.pylancemcp.dev/v1/tools/call \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "get_hover",
    "arguments": {
      "uri": "file:///workspace/app/utils.py",
      "line": 15,
      "character": 8
    }
  }'

​
Example Response

{
  "contents": "```python\n(function) calculate_total(items: List[Item], tax_rate: float = 0.1, discount: float = 0) -> float\n```\n\nCalculate the total price of items with tax and discount.\n\n**Args:**\n- `items`: List of Item objects to calculate total for\n- `tax_rate`: Tax rate as decimal (default: 0.1 for 10%)\n- `discount`: Discount amount to subtract from subtotal\n\n**Returns:**\n- Final total after tax and discount\n\n**Raises:**\n- `ValueError`: If tax_rate is negative\n\n**Example:**\n```python\nitems = [Item(price=10.0), Item(price=20.0)]\ntotal = calculate_total(items, tax_rate=0.08)\nprint(total)  # 32.4\n```",
  "range": {
    "start": { "line": 15, "character": 4 },
    "end": { "line": 15, "character": 19 }
  }
}

​
What Information You Get

Type Signatures

Function parameters, return types, and type hints

Documentation

Docstrings with descriptions, args, and examples

Usage Examples

Code snippets showing how to use the symbol

Error Info

Possible exceptions and error conditions

​
Use Cases

​
Understand Function Parameters

# Hover over 'calculate_total' to see:
# - Parameter names and types
# - Default values
# - Return type
# - Full documentation

result = calculate_total(items, tax_rate=0.08)

​
Check Variable Types

# Hover over 'user' to see:
# - Type: User
# - Available methods
# - Field information

user = get_current_user()

​
View Class Information

# Hover over 'User' to see:
# - Class definition
# - Constructor signature
# - Available methods and fields
# - Inheritance hierarchy

class AdminUser(User):
    pass

​
Inspect Import Sources

# Hover over 'requests' to see:
# - Module documentation
# - Version information
# - Available exports

import requests

​
Hover Content Format

Hover information is returned as Markdown with syntax highlighting:

​
Function Signature

```python
(function) calculate_total(items: List[Item]) -> float


### Documentation Sections
```markdown
Calculate total price with tax.

**Args:**
- `items`: List of items

**Returns:**
- Total price as float

​
Code Examples

**Example:**
```python
total = calculate_total([item1, item2])


## Performance Tips

<Tip>
  **Cache by Symbol**: Cache hover results by symbol name to avoid duplicate requests
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Debounce Hover Events**: Wait 300-500ms before requesting hover to reduce API calls
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Request on Demand**: Only fetch hover when user explicitly hovers or requests it
</Tip>

## Error Responses

| Code | Reason | Solution |
|------|--------|----------|
| `FILE_NOT_FOUND` | File doesn't exist | Verify file path is correct |
| `INVALID_POSITION` | Position out of range | Check line/character bounds |
| `NO_HOVER_INFO` | No symbol at position | Move to a valid symbol |
| `WORKSPACE_NOT_LOADED` | Workspace still loading | Wait and retry |

## Rate Limits

| Tier | Requests/Hour | Requests/Day |
|------|---------------|--------------|
| **Free** | 20 | 100 |
| **Hobby** | 500 | 5,000 |
| **Pro** | 5,000 | 50,000 |
| **Enterprise** | Unlimited | Unlimited |

## Related Tools

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Get Completions" icon="list" href="/api-reference/tools/get-completions">
    Get code completion suggestions
  </Card>
  <Card title="Get Definition" icon="location-dot" href="/api-reference/tools/get-definition">
    Jump to symbol definition
  </Card>
  <Card title="Get Signature Help" icon="question" href="/api-reference/tools/get-signature-help">
    Get parameter hints while typing
  </Card>
  <Card title="Get References" icon="link" href="/api-reference/tools/get-references">
    Find all symbol references
  </Card>
</CardGroup>