Rails - Apr 2006 - Rails Document must be more detailed otherwise...

In java/c++ the method signature provide a good details on which parameters
the method accept, but in rails the ability to send hash as parameters make
it impossible
to know which parameters can be send.

This ability make the rails API doc a must to be full of details and not
supply partial examples of usage.

When for example I see *link_to_remote*(name, options = {}, html_options {})
I would like to know exactly the keys which I can send for "options"
hash
parameter and not start figured it out by examples.

Any way, where can I find a good rails API other then
http://api.rubyonrails.com/ without missing details which cover the full
parameters for each method.(If exist)

Sharon
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Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web Development with 
Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the inventor of Rails.

sharon lin wrote:
> In java/c++ the method signature provide a good details on which 
> parameters
> the method accept, but in rails the ability to send hash as parameters 
> make
> it impossible
> to know which parameters can be send.
> 
> This ability make the rails API doc a must to be full of details and not
> supply partial examples of usage.
> 
> When for example I see *link_to_remote*(name, options = {}, html_options 
> > {})
> I would like to know exactly the keys which I can send for
"options"
> hash
> parameter and not start figured it out by examples.
> 
> Any way, where can I find a good rails API other then
> http://api.rubyonrails.com/ without missing details which cover the full
> parameters for each method.(If exist)
> 
> Sharon

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Mick Sharpe wrote:
> Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web Development with 
> Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the inventor of Rails.
Umm.... either you''re joking (in which case, stoopid me), or you mean
Dave Thomas, and David Heinemeier Hansson (only one of which is the
inventor of Rails :)

Alan

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Oh Dear! I really shouldn''t try to post anything when I''ve
just got up
:o

I''l get another cup of coffee :D

Alan Francis wrote:
> Mick Sharpe wrote:
>> Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web Development with
>> Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the inventor of Rails.
> 
> Umm.... either you''re joking (in which case, stoopid me), or you
mean
> Dave Thomas, and David Heinemeier Hansson (only one of which is the
> inventor of Rails :)
> 
> Alan

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

The Agile book is fanastic for learning Rails, but it doesn''t give a 
full API reference.

The reference on api.rubyonrails.com does seem to be fairly vague with 
this kind of detail...

Anyone know if there is a more extensive API reference available or on 
the way?

Steve



Mick Sharpe wrote:
> Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web Development with 
> Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the inventor of Rails.
> 
> sharon lin wrote:
> 
>>In java/c++ the method signature provide a good details on which 
>>parameters
>>the method accept, but in rails the ability to send hash as parameters 
>>make
>>it impossible
>>to know which parameters can be send.
>>
>>This ability make the rails API doc a must to be full of details and not
>>supply partial examples of usage.
>>
>>When for example I see *link_to_remote*(name, options = {}, html_options
>>>>{})
>>I would like to know exactly the keys which I can send for
"options"
>>hash
>>parameter and not start figured it out by examples.
>>
>>Any way, where can I find a good rails API other then
>>http://api.rubyonrails.com/ without missing details which cover the full
>>parameters for each method.(If exist)
>>
>>Sharon
> 
> 
>

there''s also http://railsmanual.org

which has plenty of annotations to the API, mostly the older stuff, so 
not yet anything for form_remote_tag. It''s a great idea though, i hope 
it''s not stalled and continues to be updated.


-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Stephen Bartholomew wrote:
> The Agile book is fanastic for learning Rails, but it doesn''t give
a
> full API reference.
> 
> The reference on api.rubyonrails.com does seem to be fairly vague with 
> this kind of detail...
I generally find that it''s worth digging into the source for this sort 
of thing.  Apart from finding out available options, I find I actually 
learn a lot about how the whole thing fits together that way...

-- 
Alex
> 
> Anyone know if there is a more extensive API reference available or on 
> the way?
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> Mick Sharpe wrote:
> 
>> Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web Development 
>> with Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the inventor of Rails.
>>
>> sharon lin wrote:
>>
>>> In java/c++ the method signature provide a good details on which 
>>> parameters
>>> the method accept, but in rails the ability to send hash as 
>>> parameters make
>>> it impossible
>>> to know which parameters can be send.
>>>
>>> This ability make the rails API doc a must to be full of details
and not
>>> supply partial examples of usage.
>>>
>>> When for example I see *link_to_remote*(name, options = {}, 
>>> html_options >>> {})
>>> I would like to know exactly the keys which I can send for
"options"
>>> hash
>>> parameter and not start figured it out by examples.
>>>
>>> Any way, where can I find a good rails API other then
>>> http://api.rubyonrails.com/ without missing details which cover the
full
>>> parameters for each method.(If exist)
>>>
>>> Sharon

Can you give examples of the vagueness.  I have found the api docs to  
be the best source of information (and a good source at that), of how  
Rails actually works.

On Apr 26, 2006, at 7:12 AM, Alex Young wrote:
> Stephen Bartholomew wrote:
>> The Agile book is fanastic for learning Rails, but it doesn''t
give
>> a full API reference.
>> The reference on api.rubyonrails.com does seem to be fairly vague  
>> with this kind of detail...
> I generally find that it''s worth digging into the source for this
> sort of thing.  Apart from finding out available options, I find I  
> actually learn a lot about how the whole thing fits together that  
> way...
>
> -- 
> Alex
>
>> Anyone know if there is a more extensive API reference available  
>> or on the way?
>> Steve
>> Mick Sharpe wrote:
>>> Right now, the best source of information is Agile Web  
>>> Development with Rails, by Thomas Heinemeier Hansson, the  
>>> inventor of Rails.
>>>
>>> sharon lin wrote:
>>>
>>>> In java/c++ the method signature provide a good details on
which
>>>> parameters
>>>> the method accept, but in rails the ability to send hash as  
>>>> parameters make
>>>> it impossible
>>>> to know which parameters can be send.
>>>>
>>>> This ability make the rails API doc a must to be full of
details
>>>> and not
>>>> supply partial examples of usage.
>>>>
>>>> When for example I see *link_to_remote*(name, options = {},  
>>>> html_options >>>> {})
>>>> I would like to know exactly the keys which I can send for  
>>>> "options" hash
>>>> parameter and not start figured it out by examples.
>>>>
>>>> Any way, where can I find a good rails API other then
>>>> http://api.rubyonrails.com/ without missing details which cover
>>>> the full
>>>> parameters for each method.(If exist)
>>>>
>>>> Sharon
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails

Andrew Greenberg wrote:
> Can you give examples of the vagueness.  I have found the api docs to
> be the best source of information (and a good source at that), of how
> Rails actually works.
So have I.  Using the api and this forum i havnt yet come across a 
problem i couldnt quickly resolve.

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

The problem is that you need to know the terms that are used in the API. 
You''ll get used to it, but it takes some time.

       Erik.


Chris Richards schreef:
> Andrew Greenberg wrote:
>   
>> Can you give examples of the vagueness.  I have found the api docs to
>> be the best source of information (and a good source at that), of how
>> Rails actually works.
>>     
>
> So have I.  Using the api and this forum i havnt yet come across a 
> problem i couldnt quickly resolve.
>
>

Andrew Greenberg wrote:
> Can you give examples of the vagueness. 
Yes, I can?

What does the block that you can pass to 
ActionView::Helpers::FormTagHelper#form_tag() do, and why does it exist?

What are the possible valid options to 
ActionView::Helpers::ScriptaculousHelper#sortable_element(), should the 
keys be strings or symbols, and how do you represent booleans?

If you merge() two HashWithIndifferentAccesses, one with a string key 
and the other with a symbol key that HWIA treats as the same, which 
value gets kept?

Where is routing documented?

When you assert_routing, what format should the expected options hash 
take, and how should you express ''*foo'' route elements?  What
does the
extras hash do?

I''m not asking these questions because I want to know the answers,
I''m
just pointing out some of the holes in the docs at api.rubyonrails.com 
I''ve run into that have had me digging into the source.  I''m
not
pointing them out to denigrate the Rails-core team in any way, but if I 
didn''t have access to the source, I certainly couldn''t answer
these
questions (and others like them) without jumping through a lot of hoops.
> I have found the api docs to  
> be the best source of information (and a good source at that), of how  
> Rails actually works.
It''s good, but it''s not great.  If I was much of a
documentation writer,
I''d feel a little more confident about knocking up some doc-patches,
but
I''ve got no idea if a) I''d have time to do it well, or b) I
could do
them well enough for them to be accepted.

-- 
Alex