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

[Guido van Rossum]

> (1) .chm format is better for the windows distro than the .html format

Speak for yourself.  I prefer the HTML that I can view in a browser of
my choice any time over MS's clumsy help browser.

> And some afterthoughts on Tim's tagline, which in my ignorance I
> interpreted as indicative of a somewhat reactive attitude to the
> win32 distro [I'd be utterly delighted to be corrected if I'm
> wrong]:

You're wrong.

> (1) Judging from the traffic on c.l.py, 
> Python seems to have reached the point in a
> language's life cycle where it is attracting many novice users.

Tell us something we don't know.

> 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.

> (2) In two application development shops with which I am engaged,
> the main application runs on a large Unix box, but the developers'
> and DBAs' workstations are Windows (2000) PCs -- is this atypical?

I've never seen it, but I suppose I'm atypical. :-)

> I am evangelising Python to them -- while certainly not critical,
> better doc formats, positive attitude to win32 distro, etc etc
> wouldn't hurt.

Stop complaining and do something about it.  If you think Tim's got an
negative attitude about win32 distro, I think you need a reality
adjustment.

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