suggestions for documentation integration
suggestions for documentation integration
- Subject: suggestions for documentation integration
- From: Matt Neuburg <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:14:45 -0800
- Thread-topic: suggestions for documentation integration
What I was hoping for hasn't come to pass in Xcode 3, so let me try to
describe what it would be like. I haven't actually got an exact spec in
mind, but here's the problem for me: the documentation is (1) too darned
clicky / scrolly, and (2) not integrated with the code you're actually
working on. The talk of a "research assistant" had raised my hopes, but my
experience so far is that working with the documentation is no better than
before.
As an example of (1): Let's say you want to look up something about
NSString. So you type NSString in the Find field. Good, NSString shows up in
the list below. But to display the documentation for it, you've got to take
your hands off the keyboard and click on it in the list; there's no way (as
far as I can work out) to do it with just the keyboard. I'd like to see a
much slicker, keyboard driven browser that takes you from the search to the
desired doc more directly (rather like AppKiDo does it, perhaps).
As an example of (2): Why are you here (in the documentation)? It's usually
because you're looking for some method that you're thinking of using in your
code. Okay, so you've found it. Now how do you get it *into* your code? What
I was expecting by now is that every method listing would have a little
"paste" button next to it (or even some less clicky device) that would
transfer the template for this method right to the selection point in the
frontmost code window.
Basically what I'm suggesting is that the designers of the documentation
window should be studying actual use cases among developers. Watching me
struggle with Xcode for five minutes would certainly provide a clue!
m.
--
matt neuburg, phd = email@hidden, <http://www.tidbits.com/matt/>
A fool + a tool + an autorelease pool = cool!
One of the 2007 MacTech Top 25: <http://tinyurl.com/2rh4pf>
AppleScript: the Definitive Guide - Second Edition!
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596102119>
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