diff --git a/modules/database.py b/modules/database.py
index 8db81c8..c4f99af 100644
--- a/modules/database.py
+++ b/modules/database.py
@@ -149,35 +149,37 @@ def execute_sql(script_name, add_dbname=True, is_admin=False):
 
 
 @task
-def generate(scriptparam='all'):
+def generate(param='all'):
     """
-    helper function to generate and upload the scripts
+    helper function to generate and upload the scripts.
 
-    :parameter scriptparam: the name of the script we want to generate
+    script options = 'init', 're_init', 'drop_db', 'drop_all'
+
+    :parameter param: the name of the script we want to generate.
         defaults to all, in which case, all scripts are generated
-    :type scriptparam:  str
+    :type param:  str
 
     """
 
     options = ['init', 're_init', 'drop_db', 'drop_all']
 
-    if scriptparam == 'all':
+    if param == 'all':
         for scriptname in options:
             generate_sql(scriptname)
-    elif scriptparam == 'help':
-        message = "usage: fab database.generate:scriptparam='all'"\
+    elif param == 'help':
+        message = "usage: fab database.generate:param='all'"\
             " or some value of {options} \n leave the parameter "\
             "blank to generate all scripts. Exiting.".format(options=options)
 
         print_console(message, exit_program=True)
 
-    elif scriptparam in options:
-        generate_sql(scriptparam)
+    elif param in options:
+        generate_sql(param)
 
     else:
         msg = "error - script parameters: " \
-            "{scriptparam} is not one of {options}".format(
-                scriptparam=scriptparam, options=options)
+            "{param} is not one of {options}".format(
+                param=param, options=options)
 
         printerr(message=msg,
                  errcode=DATABASE_ERROR_CODE_BAD_SCRIPT_PARAM,
@@ -374,9 +376,15 @@ def restore(dbuser='default', backup_file=None, reinitialize=True):
     """
     creates a dump of the database for backup and storage
 
-    dbuser - set to "default" but can also be set to "admin"
-    backup_file - alternate name for the backup_file to restore from
-    reinitialize - if supervisor needs to be restarted, do it
+    :parameter dbuser: set to "default" but can also be set to "admin"
+    :type dbuser: str
+
+    :parameter backup_file: alternate name for the backup_file to restore from.
+        defaults to None
+    :type backup_file: str
+
+    :parameter reinitialize: if supervisor needs to be restarted, do it
+    :type reinitialize: bool
 
     the admin user is what it says, I have both of these in case I need to
     switch between the master user for the entire postgres install or the owner
@@ -436,7 +444,9 @@ def restore(dbuser='default', backup_file=None, reinitialize=True):
 def sync(src):
     """
     sync database from source branch to current branch
-    src - the database source branch
+
+    :parameter src: the database source branch
+    :type src: str
     """
     configuration = env.config
     import initialize
@@ -637,6 +647,10 @@ def edit(param='help'):
 
 @task
 def test():
+    """
+    test connecting to database (probably better to just use
+    database.commandline)
+    """
     configuration = env.config
 
     db_name = configuration.server.database.name