From: Ezra Zygmuntowicz <ezmobius@...>
Date: 2006-06-15T11:43:31+09:00
Subject: Re: Is API documentation useless for learning?


On Jun 14, 2006, at 7:35 PM, Matthew Smillie wrote:

> First things first:
>
>>>> When you click on Element, you'll see no mention
>>>> of each or to_a, or any mention of a class that might
>>>> have defined them. There is no comment on node_type,
>>>> and no pointers to code, in lieu of commentary.
>
> This is related to this:
>
>>>> But it bugs me that that it doesn't even name
>>>> superclasses. (It /seems/ to name modules, but
>>>> I have no way of knowing if it's complete.)
>
>
> Which isn't actually the case.  If you look at the blue title bar,  
> you see this:
>
> Class: REXML::Element
> In: temp/element.rb
> Parent: Parent
>
> 'Parent' is the superclass.  If you click on that, you can see that  
> the Parent class includes Enumerable (which would account for a  
> default each method that you seem to be looking for).
>
> You can find the entire source in 'temp/element.rb', which is a  
> pointer to code, and you can get the source for a method by  
> clicking on its signature (you get a pop-up).
>
> Reading API docs is a pain, I know, but it does help to know how  
> they work.  Hope this helps a bit.
>
> matthew smillie.
>
>
>


	In irb you can also narrow down the list of methods on an object.  
Try this:

  puts Element.instance_methods(false)

-Ezra