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Re: specifications
Joe Cooper wrote:
>
> Feloy wrote:
> >
> > Try info. I think this system was created for this purpose.
>
> Surely you jest!?
>
> Info is the most obtuse beast I've ever seen. And so far all of the
> standard commands are documented in that fabulous GNU style ("Death
> before Example!").
>
> I can't even figure out how to use Info without reading the info page
> for it every time I try to use it.
>
You're right. I told info was "created for" this purpose, and not that
it "serves" it.
I have to confess that I never used info during my 5 years old Unix
experience, because I can't understand the hyperlink system it uses.
> I suppose it would be possible to write good documentation in info, but
> let's not pretend that the info pages are already appropriate for
> learning a GNU system. They are appropriate for reminding an expert
> what options are available...and even then, they are pretty opaque.
>
In the other hand, I used a lot of paper to print the GNU documentations
to learn the GNU tools, and I think these docs are not so bad for an
apprentice.
> I like the idea of a 'learn' command. In fact I think it's brilliant.
> The info/man pages can be left as they are and new example-rich content
> could be written also...which links to the info/man page when the
> learner wants the definitive reference. Something along the lines of
> the vi tutor or Emacs tutor files would be very good to have for a lot
> of the basic commands. They wouldn't need to be long (in fact they
> probably shouldn't be). Just show the common cases and explain what
> they do.
>
I like this idea too, but I'm afraid it will be hard to make short learn
pages.
And long man pages, like the bash one for example, are indigest to me.
But the idea requires careful thought : I began to write a tutorial for
GNU tools (GCC and MAKE at this time), and I'll try to turn this manual
into man pages.
My idea is that these learn pages can be seen with the man command, and
can be classified in new man sections like 1l, 2l, xl, etc (l like
learn).
-
Philippe Martin
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