Python docs disappointing

[Carl Banks]

On Jul 31, 1:10 pm, kj <no.em... at please.post> wrote:
> I'm pretty new to Python, and I like a lot overall, but I find the
> documentation for Python rather poor, overall.
>
> I'm sure that Python experts don't have this problem: they have
> internalized some good ways to access the documentation, are
> productive with it, and therefore have lost the ability to see why
> the Python documentations is deficient for beginners.

That may be so, but I do remember when I was a beginner myself and I
had no issue with the documentation.


[snip]
> I'm sure that I can find a full description of this parameter if
> I fire up Google, and search online.

Are you aware that Python ships with a full set of documentation,
where (for instance) the meaning of "data" in urllib is defined?  You
don't need Google.


> In fact, more likely than
> not, I'll find far more documentation than I want.  But my point
> is that a programmer should not need to do this.  The full
> documentation should be readily accessible directly through a few
> keystrokes.

Well, no one volunteered to do that.  Oh well.


> I would love to know how experienced Python programmers quickly
> zero in on the Python documentation they need.

Choose bookmark in web browser for Python documentation -> keyword
search for correct module (easy with firefox) -> scroll.

This might not be the smoothest method ever (omg you have to use a
*mouse*) but it should be usable enough.


Carl Banks