The following doctest should pass, but it fails:

    >>> def spam(): print("eggs")
    ...
    >>> assert spam()
    eggs
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    AssertionError

But if we remove the print output from printed results the test pass:

    >>> def spam(): print("eggs")
    ...
    >>> assert spam()
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    AssertionError

I'm writing the 2nd edition of a book about Python (covering python3) and Django and I'm using doctest to run the interactive sessions that I use as examples in book.

The first footnote in the docs explain this:

Examples containing both expected output and an
exception are not supported. Trying to guess where
one ends and the other begins is too error-prone,
and that also makes for a confusing test.

So, sorry, but this is intentionally not supported.

Hi Tim,

I tried to find more information in documentation before opening this bug but I need to confess that I didn't read the footnote.

Thanks and sorry for the invalid report.

Personally, I think that the second reason given in the footnote, that it makes for confusing tests, is bogus, or at least it's a matter of opinion. I for one don't think they are confusing, and would like to see mixed output/tracebacks supported. Tim, would you accept this being reopened as an Enhancement request for 3.5 rather than a bug fix?

Steven, no objection here.