Re: [PHP-GTK] Status of PHP-GTK

Benjamin Smith wrote:
> I offer some counter points, here... 
> 
> On Wednesday 15 April 2009 06:53:48 Bob Majdak Jr wrote:
>> Coding is really limping along just fine. Tonnes of people hate the
>> docs, less than tonnes offer to help,  none of them actually do. 
> 
> Sometime ago, I was offered the opportunity to update the docs, and was 
> picturing that it would be something like a fancy wiki or somesuch. Instead, I 
> was introduced to text files with a very complicated tagging system and a steep 
> learning curve. I don't remember what it was, it's been a few years, and I'm 
> sure there are good reasons for choosing it. 

It's docbook - standard markup for documentation. It's just XML
> 
> After struggling for some hours over a few days on it (and even starting a 
> docs editor in PHP-GTK to manage some of the complexity) I threw in the towel 
> and resigned myself to leaving (hopefully helpful) comments. 
> 
> Can this be made simpler? Do you know of some kind of doc-editor manager 
> doohickey to take track all the tagging? 

Actually, if you look in PHP CVS there IS a new web frontend for php
documentation in development (it's just about done) however it doesn't
do PHP-GTK current docbook markup - which still doesn't help.

> 
>> Granted
>> extra coders would help but patch writers are easier to come across than
>> people actually willing to do the docs. And the coders can usually
>> figure out what to do by knowing  GTK in C or by looking at the C GTK
>> manual.
> 
> Get_class_methods() and get_object_vars(), and Google are my substitutes. I 
> make it a point to leave notes when I can. 
> 
>> The PHP doc system i am sure is not going anywhere, and personally I
>> like comments off, it is a manual not a wbe forum.  That is one of the
>> things I hate the most about the actual PHP docs, especally when a new
>> guy posts a code sample that is horrid and the next 20 posts are people
>> saying "oh hay i made this better". I am not being bitter. Honest.
> 
> It's common for me to be baffled by minimalist docs, only to find a comment that 
> makes it all clear... I'm perfectly willing to ignore the crappy, 3-page-long 
> code samples in order to have the nuggets that make my day! And sometimes, 
> even the 3-page-long crappy code gives enough detail about how to use XYX 
> function that it's useful. 
> 
> ...perhaps a moderation system for comments? 
> 

Moderation might be the best solution - however finding someone with the
time and energy to do the moderation - and keep doing the moderation ...
that might take some doing.

Thanks,
Elizabeth Smith