document parts of the API

docs/index.rst

@@ -37,13 +37,15 @@ https://github.com/LSSTDESC/skyCatalogs.
    :caption: Reference:
    :hidden:
 
+   reeference_python
+
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 2
    :caption: Contact:
    :hidden:
 
    contact
-   
+
 
 Indices and tables
 ==================

docs/reference_python.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+===========================
+The ``skyCatalogs`` package
+===========================
+
+Reference documentation for core objects with the ``sktyCatalogs`` package
+
+.. _skyCatalog_class:
+
+The skyCatalog class
+=====================
+
+The ``skyCatalog`` class represents a catalog. Users gain access
+to a catalog by calling its static method ``open_catalog``.
+
+.. autoclass:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog
+   :members:
+
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.open_catalog
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_objects_by_region
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_object_type_by_region
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_object_type_names
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_object_type_by_hp
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_hps_by_region
+
+..
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.skyCatalogs.SkyCatalog.get_hps_by_type
+
+.. _baseobject_class:
+
+There are several classes (one per supported object type) representing
+individual objects as observed at a particular time, all subclassing
+``BaseObject``.
+
+.. autoclass:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject
+   :members:
+
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject.id
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject.ra
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject.dec
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject.object_type
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.BaseObject.get_native_attribute
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_gsobject_components
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_observer_sed_component
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_observer_sed_components
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_total_observer_sed
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_flux
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_LSST_flux
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_LSST_fluxes
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_roman_flux
+   .. automethod:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.get_roman_fluxes
+
+.. _objectlist_class:
+
+The ``ObjectList`` class is a container for instances of ``BaseObject``.
+It subclasses ``Sequence``.
+
+.. autoclass:: skycatalogs.objects.base_object.ObjectList