Re: Interactive Documentation - how do you want it towork?

From: Bruce Momjian <pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: Dave Page <dpage(at)vale-housing(dot)co(dot)uk>
Cc: Neil Conway <neilc(at)samurai(dot)com>, PostgreSQL Hackers <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: Interactive Documentation - how do you want it towork?
Date: 2003-02-03 13:03:33
Message-ID: 200302031303.h13D3Y610485@candle.pha.pa.us
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Dave Page wrote:
> > I looked at that URL, and it is good example of what _not_ to
> > do with interactive docs, IMHO. The manual page is _very_
> > short, and shows no examples. The comments have various
> > examples/cases, with corrections later to earlier postings.
> > I would think this is not what we want. We want a longer
> > manual page, with _correct_ examples that show typical usage.
> >
> > I know folks like those comments, but isn't it showing cases
> > where the curt documentation just doesn't cut it?
>
> OK point taken. What about the issue that the comments get merged into
> later docs, which is often not helpful if someone is searching the older
> docset (because they are using the older version)?
>
> Perhaps we should then prune the garbage out of the old version, and
> make the comments version specific so that we start afresh with the new
> docs, but leave the useful comments against the older versions?

Yes, I can see keeping the old comments on old releases, but frankly, if
it requires any special effort, it isn't worth the trouble. We are
improving this thing so fast I can barely keep up.

--
Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us | (610) 359-1001
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