documentation

[middy]

Well dont worry, this time its not a complain. Its a suggestion. I know its massive work to make a documentation so why not include the commuity around lwjgl. The programmers  of a system should not write documentation in the first place.

My suggestion is:
Setup a wiki system. In this system set up a framework for the documentation eg

Introduction
lwjgl
 chapter  1
 Chapter 2


All this are wiki pages. For each page fill in a genereal description of what the documentation is about (if needed at all).

Then we the users can slowly fill up the wiki with what we think are relevant for this part of lwjgl including great examples and common errors.

This will end up in alot of stuff filled with errors and flaws. But it will server as a great place for finding solutions and when you decide you want a fancy pdf manual you will have tons of material written in common sense language and NOT by the programmers.

[princec]

I bleedin' hate Wikis Some proper html docs wouldn't go amiss though.

Cas

[Matzon]

I also hate wiki - at least all of those I've seen... However I think that both some proper html documentation AND a wiki would be great... and fwiw, the wiki would propably produce some documentation and examples that could be distributed alongside the lwjgl binary.

[PlanetMongo]

That's the idea I got:  Use the wiki to cull information for the documentation.  I'd also like to see discussion regarding various techniques (time vs. frame based stuff, perhaps?  With links to code demonstrating each and pros-cons) and lots of sample/well commentated code in documentation.  In short, I'd like to see a "Programming Java Games with LWJGL - by PrinceC, Matzon, and elias" from O'Reilly.  

:: sigh :: back to learning OS X and packing for my trip tomorrow.

[princec]

That book is in the pipe dream. We all need to properly commit to writing it though, which means actually spending time on it!

But first, we're gonna javadoc the whole bloody API properly.

Cas

[middy]

The whole idea is to do a mass brainstorm at first.  Thats difficult with one person maintaining

Remember you guys have been working with the system for so long that certain issues might seem so simple that you dont think about them and thus do not add them to a manual. Just look at the forums the same simple questions arise again and again.

It has been shown that experts are infact the worst teachers to novices since they take alot of basic concepts for granted or rather it becomes implicit for them.

Anyway  I would be happy to setup such a wiki, maintain and even provide hosting. All you have todo is to link and use it.

[princec]

Now you're talking Please fire ahead, and we'll get a nice big link up on the LWJGL.org page.

Cas

[CaptainJester]

But first, we're gonna javadoc the whole bloody API properly.

Cas

If you are interested, I am writing a program that will automatically insert Javadoc comments into source code with a @todo tag.  I plan to put it into Source Forge once it is in a working state.  I let you know when it is ready if you are interested.