@@ -109,10 +109,16 @@ The code must be stable for a comprehensive user's guide.
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Developer Guides
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================
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- Developer guides are very similar to user's guides except that they assume a
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- basic mastery of the project. They are typically for people who want to *become *
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- developers on a project rather than for existing developers. They are probably
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- most important for code projects that have plugin architectures and where the
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+ Assume a basic mastery of the project.
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+
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+ .. break
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+
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+ They are typically for people who want to *become *
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+ developers on a project rather than for existing developers.
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+
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+ .. break
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+
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+ Most important for code projects that have plugin architectures and where the
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line between user and developer is less well defined.
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**Examples: ** `Android `_, `Python `_.
@@ -123,18 +129,17 @@ line between user and developer is less well defined.
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Self-Documenting Code
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=====================
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- Much like in testing where you can simply write perfect code the first time,
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- there is an analogous philosophy is documentation. This is the philosophy of
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- `self-documenting code `_. This ethos makes the claim that it is often
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- possible to write code in such a way that new readers can understand what the
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+ The `self-documenting code `_ claim is that it is often
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+ possible to write code such that new readers can understand what the
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code does simply by reading it. Therefore, no extra documentation is required.
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It is all there in the code itself.
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- While there are obvious pitfalls with this approach (assumed knowledge on the
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- reader's behalf, unavoidable complexities, etc) there are some merits. By
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- having meaningful naming conventions and structure it does become possible to
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- infer a lot about a code just by glancing at it. Coding standards come from the
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- same desire to have readable software.
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+ .. break
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+ Obvious pitfalls, but some merits in terms having meaningful naming conventions,
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+ structure, and overall readable software.
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+ .. break
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However using this documentation strategy exclusively is *highly * inadvisable.
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