From: Eric Armstrong <Eric.Armstrong@...>
Date: 2006-06-16T07:17:10+09:00
Subject: Re: Is API documentation useless for learning?

I wish what you were saying were true!

I'm here:
http://www.germane-software.com/software/XML/rexml/doc/

The title bar reads:
rexml.rb
Path: 	temp/rexml.rb
Last Update: 	Thu Apr 13 20:03:06 PDT 2006

There is no 'parent' link.
Are you looking at docs at some other location?
If so, that is clearly the location I need!
(You give me hope.)

eric



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.
> 
> 
>