Python documentation too difficult for beginners

[John Nagle]

On 11/2/2010 7:53 AM, Paul Rudin wrote:
> Steven D'Aprano<steve at REMOVE-THIS-cybersource.com.au>  writes:
>
>> A fair point -- the built-in open comes up as hit #30, whereas searching
>> for open in the PHP page brings up fopen as hit #1. But the PHP search
>> also brings up many, many hits -- ten pages worth.
>>
>
> OTOH googling for "python open" gives you the correct (for 2.7) page as
> hit #1 - although you then have to use your browser's "find" facilty to
> actually get to the description of the function in question.

    Right.  Google does a far better job of organizing Python's
documentation than the Python community does.  I don't even try
looking up anything starting at Python.org; I always start
with a Google search.  Even though Python.org's search is
powered by Google, it's inferior to a general search.

    Compare:

http://www.google.com/search?domains=www.python.org&sitesearch=www.python.org&q=open

http://www.google.com/search?q=Python+open



				John Nagle