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Collaborative articulation of how abstraction and language is employed in the computational manifestation of numbers -- including analysis of the role of syntax, semantics, and meaning in the specification and use of software interfaces.
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2005-08-15All that's needed isn't written down; how much more might be enough?"You have to know everything to understand anything", a recent post by John O'Connor on the java.net weblogs, nicely captures the essence of the Numbering Peano conversation. Since I choose not to remember things I can easily look up, the online availability of Java documentation definitely makes it easier to use. But as John points out in his note, most Java documentation is only helpful if I know the context in which the objects, classes, and methods can be used. And this information often comes from sources other than API or class and method documentation. Several years ago I implemented a JNDI-based directory service application. The JNDI JavaDoc was great, but I had to read general information about directory services and LDAP before I could actually use JNDI and write the code. Early in my career I worked on IBM mainframe systems. These systems came with detailed documentation for the subroutine libraries. But they also included a "Principles of Operation" document that explained the architecture and design rationale for the libraries. This document was invaluable in providing the context needed to write effective code. Maybe what John is asking for, and what Numbering Peano might illustrate, is the sort of context descriptions that can be practicably added to API documentation.Technorati Tags: documentation, Software Engineering
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