Clarify docstring: tf.Variable(variable_def) does not add to the graph.

Change: 153680516

1 files changed, 6 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/tensorflow/python/ops/variables.py b/tensorflow/python/ops/variables.py
index 4793cb4a17..8b508e45a4 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/ops/variables.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/ops/variables.py
@@ -163,8 +163,9 @@ class Variable(object):
       name: Optional name for the variable. Defaults to `'Variable'` and gets
         uniquified automatically.
       variable_def: `VariableDef` protocol buffer. If not `None`, recreates
-        the Variable object with its contents. `variable_def` and the other
-        arguments are mutually exclusive.
+        the Variable object with its contents, referencing the variable's nodes
+        in the graph, which must already exist. The graph is not changed.
+        `variable_def` and the other arguments are mutually exclusive.
       dtype: If set, initial_value will be converted to the given type.
         If `None`, either the datatype will be kept (if `initial_value` is
         a Tensor), or `convert_to_tensor` will decide.
@@ -320,10 +321,11 @@ class Variable(object):
     self._save_slice_info = None
 
   def _init_from_proto(self, variable_def, import_scope=None):
-    """Creates a new variable from `VariableDef` protocol buffer.
+    """Recreates the Variable object from a `VariableDef` protocol buffer.
 
     Args:
-      variable_def: `VariableDef` protocol buffer.
+      variable_def: `VariableDef` protocol buffer, describing a variable
+          whose nodes already exists in the graph.
       import_scope: Optional `string`. Name scope to add.
     """
     assert isinstance(variable_def, variable_pb2.VariableDef)