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What is the deal with API documentation that can seem so terse to a hobbyist? (self.programming)

submitted 5 months ago by j4k3 to c/[email protected]

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've encountered this many times where I simply don't understand the context and use of an API based of the API documentation unless I can find an example that already utilizes it in a working project. The first thing that comes to mind is Py Torch. I've tried to figure out how some API features work, or what they are doing in model loader code related to checkpoint caching but failed to contextualize. What harebrain details are obviously missing from someone who asks such a silly question?

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[–] hperrin 29 points 5 months ago (5 children)

It’s because the same people who wrote the code usually write the docs, and people who are really good at writing code usually aren’t good at writing docs. It’s two different skill sets that usually don’t coincide.

Case in point: my own documentation for https://nymph.io

I know it’s bad, but I don’t know how to make it good. The code, however, is pretty good. It runs my email service.

Open source projects also aren’t very good at attracting people who both want to volunteer their time writing technical documentation and can.

[–] abhibeckert 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Here's a tip on good documentation: try to write the documentation first. Use it as your planning process, to spec out exactly what you're going to build. Show the code to people (on GitHub or on a mailing list or on lemmy or whatever), get feedback, change the documentation to clarify any misunderstandings and/or add any good ideas people suggest.

Only after the docs are in a good state, then start writing the code.

And any time you (or someone else) finds the documentation doesn't match the code you wrote... that should usually be treated as a bug in the code. Don't change the documentation, change the code to make them line up.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Don’t change the documentation, change the code to make them line up.

Unless the documentation is wrong

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Just like malbolge

[–] abhibeckert 1 points 5 months ago

Sure - but in the real world that mostly only happens when the documentation is an afterthought.

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