[fpc-pascal] State of FPC docs.rant

[Joseph Montanez]

>  I don't see a benefit in having fragmented documentation over various websites and locations. This makes it near impossible for a end-user to find help.

The language itself is even worst, this is the biggest pitfall of
Pascal in general. I can't tell you how hard it is to find anything on
google, and I do mean anything.

http://community.freepascal.org:10000/search/search?q=list+of+strings&t=Search
<-- big fail why is everything highlighted (gah!) it gave me a
function but nothing on how to use it.
Lets use google, freepascal.org has nothing useful:
"free pascal string list" <-- nothing useful
"free pascal list of strings" <-- nothing useful
"free pascal array of strings" <-- nothing useful
"free pascal array of strings" <-- nothing useful
"pascal array of strings" <-- getting closer, but there has to be
something on TStringList, right?
"delphi tstringlist" <-- PERFECT

Pascal's presents on Google is piss poor because you have to guess
which dialect to use, Pascal, Free Pascal, Delphi, Object Pascal, for
searches.

> I would suggest you checkout the latest copy of the documentation
> SubVersion repository:
>
>  http://svn.freepascal.org/svn/fpcdocs/trunk
>
> Then submit code examples for the various units.

Are you seriously want everyone that wants to help out be forced into
SVN and learn FPDoc syntax, submit patches, wait for integration? I'll
be more then happy to move my work onto Free Pascal Wiki, but I think
its a bad idea to funnel anyone that wants to add to docs even if its
a typo change into that sort of process. At least in a wiki if someone
wanted to make a quick change they could sign in and make it.

You look at something like http://zendframework.com/manual/en/ were
most of the time I don't know what functions I need, but I do know
basic topic. I.E I need to implement OAuth, it will walk me through
the entire process. Their OAuth example is a bit poor since that will
fit into an "Overview" of FPDoc, but their others are a greater
example more of a walk through. Code examples are the most important
but there is a LOT more that make documentation great. So the last
thing you want is a tall wall in front before you can even help out.

-- 
Joseph Montanez
Web Developer
Gorilla3D
Design, Develop, Deploy