App documentation

Hello all,

  If I look at what I am used to, the Open Source projects, most
of these projects have at least some basic documentation on usage.
Some have detailed user documentation with examples.

  Does it work the same with applications found inside Squeak ?  For
instance, is there a web site for the Monticello packager that has
documentation, supportin the form of a mailing list, downloads and such
?  Same with the OB browser ?

I'm now using the Squeak Dev image which I find very nice.  I've tried
Pharo but so far the fonts cannot be adjusted and the default fonts are
just too ugly to make it it nice to spend time with.  Qith the Squeak
Dev (and Squeak proper) the first thing I do is put most of fonts to a
nice Bitstream Vera Sans 12 points normal that gives a solid look and
feel.

So now I have a nice environment and there are those apps which
seemingly can do quite a few things.  is the only documentation on how
to use them in a book such as the recent Squeak/Pharo or do these apps
have their own doc and support web sites ?  The apps themselves do not
have a 'help' or 'about' method to find out.

OK, I've found the Monticello:

http://www.wiresong.ca/Monticello/

Is there a list of the web sites behind the major apps found in
Squeak ?

Cheers.
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--- On Sun, 2/7/10, lanas <[hidden email]> wrote:


>
> Is there a list of the web sites behind the major apps
> found in
> Squeak ?
>
Theres Stef's collection of free books:

http://stephane.ducasse.free.fr/FreeBooks.html

will have some.

Mostly its hide and seek ye be playing if its documentation your looking for.

Hopefully others will know some answers. If you want to do a service collect them and make them available in one place.

Yours in curiosity and service, --Jerome Peace


     
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The wiki is usually my first stop for documentation:

http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak



On 08/02/2010 00:31, lanas wrote:
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Le Dimanche, 7 Février 2010 20:21:41 -0800 (PST),
Jerome Peace <[hidden email]> a écrit :

>> Is there a list of the web sites behind the major apps
>> found in Squeak ?

(asked for documentation purposes, as in Open Source projects)

> Theres Stef's collection of free books:
>
> http://stephane.ducasse.free.fr/FreeBooks.html
>
> will have some.

Stépane's free books are mostly about Smalltalk in general.  If I want
to know about the following option in OB Browser (Squeak Dev image):

open environment -> inverse

Then either I ask and perhaps someone  will answer (and proceed like
this for all options ! :-) or ...

> Mostly its hide and seek ye be playing if its documentation your
> looking for.

... I try to figure it out.  Since I'm far to know all details and
principles involved in developing in a true object oriented environment
using a true object oriented language, I might spend some time there on
that single option finding about its purpose in life.

So I was wondering if each of the apps (or at least many) in Squeak
have their own web site where their developers would put up-front
documentation about what their apps are doing.  As in most if not all
Open Source apps.

I think it would be great to have full documentation on the
possibilities that the apps in Squeak offer, on a per-app basis.  And
developers who spent so much time working on the apps in the first
place could put out some simple ASCII text files that describes the
options available and their purpose.  reading about what an app can do
from the developers temsleves also serves as getting *detailed* insight
into the OO development in Smalltalk/Squeak.

This being said, the two recent books (Squeak and Pharo) are quite good
compared so far but their aim is not to cover the development apps in
all details like a user documentation for each app would do.

Cheers.

Al

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--
http://jmck.seasidehosting.st

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> So I was wondering if each of the apps (or at least many) in Squeak
> have their own web site where their developers would put up-front
> documentation about what their apps are doing.  As in most if not all
> Open Source apps.

Careful with the generalizations. A few excellent but well known Open
Source apps (the most that you are referring to) have good
documentation. Same in the Squeak universe. Some of the really
successful projects have good docs (like Seaside and Monticello).

Most open-source projects are essentially unknown and have limited to
no useful documentation. Such is the case with underused projects in
Squeak.
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--- On Mon, 2/8/10, lanas <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: lanas <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Newbies] App documentation

Hmmm. I am wondering that too.

I realized my answer wasn't addressing what you were asking.

I feel a little frustration and also dispair about fielding an answer to your question.

The question itself is partly to blame. I know you have some specific apps in mind because you mentioned the OB browser and its options.

I also know there is no well known index for documentation else the answer would have come easily.

So I have to ask you for help.

1) Can you make us a better question? List a handful of apps you are seeking documentation for. Then

2) What would be the criteria for the documentation being specific for your purposes?

3) How would you expect to find that documentation in the context of what the squeak community provides?

4) Are you willing to contribute some effort to making an enviornment where this documentation is available and can be found within the community?

Yours in curiosity and service, --Jerome Peace


     
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 > > From: lanas <[hidden email]>
> > Subject: Re: [Newbies] App documentation
>
> >
> > Jer> Mostly its hide and seek ye be playing if its
> > documentation your
> > Jer> looking for.
> >

Hi Lanas,
Having just sent one reply another thought comes to mind.

If its an application it will be stored in one of the repositories.
If you go to that repository then there maybe a pointer to the authors documentation if they have bothered to provide any. If that haven't then that probably answers your question too.

Squeakmap and Squeaksource would be the two major ones. The package universe was an interesting idea for a while but it is hard to maintain. Plus it would not be focused on providing user documentation.

hth,

Yours in curiosity and service, --Jerome Peace


     
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