[Python-Dev] Searching Python docs (Was: Python sidebar for Mozilla/Netscape) (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Fri, 05 Apr 2002 20:49:55 -0500

> > My guess is that most of those will be using the win32 > > distribution. Many of them will no doubt refuse to RTFM, but for > > those who will, providing them with the docs in .chm format (and > > actively promoting it) might cut down on the "support cost" of the > > traffic on c.l.py. > > I strongly doubt that the format we use to provide the docs makes > much of a difference.

Strongly disagree. As someone who doesn't know where everything is using docs where many things are in the wrong place, having built-in fast searching is absolutely essential for my work. I can just imagine how it is for a novice... as someone who's got the whole world in his brain, Guido, I think you should consider disqualifying yourself from trying to intuit what people need in the documentation department.

Fair enough, I hadn't thought of the search feature. When I use it on MS provided help topics, it's often very frustrating, so maybe I didn't think favorably of it. But I agree being able to search the docs is important.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)