Add FAQ section to the documentation.

docs/faq.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+.. currentmodule:: discord
+.. _faq:
+
+Frequently Asked Questions
+===========================
+
+This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding using ``discord.py`` and its extension modules. Feel free to suggest a
+new question or submit one via pull requests.
+
+.. contents:: Questions
+    :local:
+
+Coroutines
+------------
+
+Questions regarding coroutines and asyncio belong here.
+
+I get a SyntaxError around the word ``async``\! What should I do?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This ``SyntaxError`` happens because you're using a Python version lower than 3.5. Python 3.4 uses ``@asyncio.coroutine`` and
+``yield from`` instead of ``async def`` and ``await``.
+
+Thus you must do the following instead: ::
+
+    async def foo():
+        await bar()
+
+    # into
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def foo():
+        yield from bar()
+
+Don't forget to ``import asyncio`` on the top of your files.
+
+**It is heavily recommended that you update to Python 3.5 or higher as it simplifies asyncio massively.**
+
+What is a coroutine?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+A coroutine is a function that must be invoked with ``await`` or ``yield from``. When Python encounters an ``await`` it stops
+the function's execution at that point and works on other things until it comes back to that point and finishes off its work.
+This allows for your program to be doing multiple things at the same time without using threads or complicated
+multiprocessing.
+
+**If you forget to await a coroutine then the coroutine will not run. Never forget to await a coroutine.**
+
+Where can I use ``await``\?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You can only use ``await`` inside ``async def`` functions and nowhere else.
+
+What does "blocking" mean?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+In asynchronous programming a blocking call is essentially all the parts of the function that are not ``await``. Do not
+despair however, because not all forms of blocking are bad! Avoiding blocking calls is inevitable, but you must work to make
+sure that you don't excessively block functions. Remember, if you block for too long then your bot will freeze since it has
+not stopped the function's execution at that point to do other things.
+
+A common source of blocking for too long is something like ``time.sleep(n)``. Don't do that. Use ``asyncio.sleep(n)``
+instead. Similar to this example: ::
+
+    # bad
+    time.sleep(10)
+
+    # good
+    await asyncio.sleep(10)
+
+Another common source of blocking for too long is using HTTP requests with the famous module ``requests``. While ``requests``
+is an amazing module for non-asynchronous programming, it is not a good choice for ``asyncio`` because certain requests can
+block the event loop too long. Instead, use the ``aiohttp`` library which is installed on the side with this library.
+
+Consider the following example: ::
+
+    # bad
+    r = requests.get('http://random.cat/meow')
+    if r.status_code == 200:
+        js = r.json()
+        await client.send_message(channel, js['file'])
+
+    # good
+    async with aiohttp.get('http://random.cat/meow') as r:
+        if r.status == 200:
+            js = await r.json()
+            await client.send_message(channel, js['file'])
+
+General
+---------
+
+General questions regarding library usage belong here.
+
+How do I set the "Playing" status?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+There is a method for this under :class:`Client` called :meth:`Client.change_status`. The relevant aspect of this is its
+``game`` keyword argument which takes in a :class:`Game` object. Putting both of these pieces of info together, you get the
+following: ::
+
+    await client.change_status(game=discord.Game(name='my game'))
+
+How do I send a message to a specific channel?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+If you have its ID then you can do this in two ways, first is by using :class:`Object`\: ::
+
+    await client.send_message(discord.Object(id='12324234183172'), 'hello')
+
+The second way is by calling :meth:`Client.get_channel` directly: ::
+
+    await client.send_message(client.get_channel('12324234183172'), 'hello')
+
+I'm passing IDs as integers and things are not working!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+In the library IDs must be of type ``str`` not of type ``int``. Wrap it in quotes.
+
+How do I upload an image?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+There are two ways of doing it. Both of which involve using :meth:`Client.send_file`.
+
+The first is by opening the file and passing it directly: ::
+
+    with open('my_image.png', 'rb') as f:
+        await client.send_file(channel, f)
+
+The second is by passing the file name directly: ::
+
+    await client.send_file(channel, 'my_image.png')
+
+How do I pass a coroutine to the player's "after" function?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+A StreamPlayer is just a ``threading.Thread`` object that plays music. As a result it does not execute inside a coroutine.
+This does not mean that it is not possible to call a coroutine in the ``after`` parameter. To do so you must pass a callable
+that wraps up a couple of aspects.
+
+The first gotcha that you must be aware of is that calling a coroutine is not a thread-safe operation. Since we are
+technically in another thread, we must take caution in calling thread-safe operations so things do not bug out. Luckily for
+us, ``asyncio`` comes with a ``asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe``
+`function <https://docs.python.org/3.5/library/asyncio-task.html#asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe>`_ that allows us to call
+a coroutine from another thread.
+
+.. warning::
+
+    This function is only part of 3.5.1+ and 3.4.4+. If you are not using these Python versions then use
+    ``discord.compat.run_coroutine_threadsafe``.
+
+However, this function returns a ``concurrent.Future`` and to actually call it we have to fetch its result. Putting all of
+this together we can do the following: ::
+
+    def my_after():
+        coro = client.send_message(some_channel, 'Song is done!')
+        fut = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(coro, client.loop)
+        try:
+            fut.result()
+        except:
+            # an error happened sending the message
+            pass
+
+    player = await voice.create_ytdl_player(url, after=my_after)
+    player.start()
+
+How do I run something in the background?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+`Check the background_task.py example. <https://github.com/Rapptz/discord.py/blob/async/examples/background_task.py>`_
+
+How do I get a specific User/Role/Channel/Server?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+There are multiple ways of doing this. If you have a specific entity's ID then you can use
+one of the following functions:
+
+- :meth:`Client.get_channel`
+- :meth:`Client.get_server`
+- :meth:`Server.get_member`
+- :meth:`Server.get_channel`
+
+If the functions above do not help you, then use of :func:`utils.find` or :func:`utils.get` would server some use in finding
+specific entities. The documentation for those functions provide specific examples.
+
+Commands Extension
+-------------------
+
+Questions regarding ``discord.ext.commands`` belong here.
+
+Is there any documentation for this?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Not at the moment. Writing documentation for stuff takes time. A lot of people get by reading the docstrings in the source
+code. Others get by via asking questions in the `Discord server <https://discord.gg/0SBTUU1wZTXZNJPa>`_. Others look at the
+source code of `other existing bots <https://github.com/Rapptz/RoboDanny>`_.
+
+There is a `basic example <https://github.com/Rapptz/discord.py/blob/async/examples/basic_bot.py>`_ showcasing some
+functionality.
+
+**Documentation is being worked on, it will just take some time to polish it**.
+
+Why does ``on_message`` make my commands stop working?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Overriding the default provided ``on_message`` forbids any extra commands from running. To fix this, add a
+``bot.process_commands(message)`` line at the end of your ``on_message``. For example: ::
+
+    @bot.event
+    async def on_message(message):
+        # do some extra stuff here
+
+        await bot.process_commands(message)
+
+Can I use ``bot.say`` in other places aside from commands?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+No. They only work inside commands due to the way the magic involved works.
+
+Why do my arguments require quotes?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+In a simple command defined as: ::
+
+    @bot.command()
+    async def echo(message: str):
+        await bot.say(message)
+
+Calling it via ``?echo a b c`` will only fetch the first argument and disregard the rest. To fix this you should either call
+it via ``?echo "a b c"`` or change the signature to have "consume rest" behaviour. Example: ::
+
+    @bot.command()
+    async def echo(*, message: str):
+        await bot.say(message)
+
+This will allow you to use ``?echo a b c`` without needing the quotes.
+
+How do I get the original ``message``\?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Ask the command to pass you the invocation context via ``pass_context``. This context will be passed as the first parameter.
+
+Example: ::
+
+    @bot.command(pass_context=True)
+    async def joined_at(ctx, member: discord.Member = None):
+        if member is None:
+            member = ctx.message.author
+
+        await bot.say('{0} joined at {0.joined_at}'.format(member))
+
+How do I make a subcommand?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Use the ``group`` decorator. This will transform the callback into a ``Group`` which will allow you to add commands into
+the group operating as "subcommands". These groups can be arbitrarily nested as well.
+
+Example: ::
+
+    @bot.group(pass_context=True)
+    async def git(ctx):
+        if ctx.invoked_subcommand is None:
+            await bot.say('Invalid git command passed...')
+
+    @git.command()
+    async def push(remote: str, branch: str):
+        await bot.say('Pushing to {} {}'.format(remote, branch))
+
+
+This could then be used as ``?git push origin master``.
+

docs/index.rst

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Contents:
    whats_new
    migrating
    api
+   faq
 
 
 Indices and tables