Build class hierarchies (and print them)

class_hierarchy_builder.py

"""Utilities to build and view class hierarchy represntations in Python"""
def build_class_hierarchy(base_class, dot_paths=False):
    """
    Given any (base) class, produces a nested dictionary
    representation of the hierarchy formed by all descendents
    of the class, with the given `base_class` forming the root
    of the hierarchy.
    
    :param base_class: The parent-most class on which the 
        hierarchy will be based
    :type base_class: type
    :param dot_paths: (Optional) If False, uses the class name
        to represent classes in the hierarchy. If True, uses
        the full, dot-notated Python module path as a prefix
        to the class name. Defaults to False.
    :type dot_paths: bool
    :return: A dictionary representation of the descendent hierarchy
        for the provided `base_class`, starting with that class.
    :rtype: dict
    """
    if dot_paths:
        class_name = '{}.{}'.format(base_class.__module__, base_class.__name__)
    else:
        class_name = base_class.__name__

    hierarchy = {class_name: {}}

    for subclass in base_class.__subclasses__():
        hierarchy[class_name].update(
            build_class_hierarchy(subclass, dot_paths)
        )

    return hierarchy


def format_class_hierarchy(hierarchy, indent=0):
    """
    Given a dict representation of a class hierarchy,
    build a string which can be used to print a visual
    representation of the hierarchy.
    
    :param hierarcy: A dict representation of a hierarchy, 
        likely produced by :func:`build_class_hierarchy`
    :type hierarchy: dict
    :indent: The starting indentation (hierarchy) level, 
        which generally need not provided by users.
        Should be a value >= 0.
    :indent: int
    :return: A string providing a printable representation of the hierarchy
    :rtype: str
    """
    output = ''

    for k in sorted(hierarchy.keys()):
        line = '{spaces}{dashes} {name}\n'.format(
            spaces=' ' * (indent * 2),
            dashes='-' * (indent + 1), 
            name=k
        )

        output += line

        if hierarchy[k]:
            output += format_class_hierarchy(hierarchy[k], indent + 1)

    return output