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What is the deal with API documentation that can seem so terse to a hobbyist? (lemmy.world)

submitted 4 months ago by j4k3@lemmy.world to c/programming@programming.dev

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I've encountered this many times where I simply don't understand the context and use of an API based of the API documentation unless I can find an example that already utilizes it in a working project. The first thing that comes to mind is Py Torch. I've tried to figure out how some API features work, or what they are doing in model loader code related to checkpoint caching but failed to contextualize. What harebrain details are obviously missing from someone who asks such a silly question?

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[–] Carighan@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

It’s because the same people who wrote the code usually write the docs, and people who are really good at writing code usually aren’t good at writing docs. It’s two different skill sets that usually don’t coincide.

This is why companies ought to employ technical writers if they have enough documentation. Of course, few ever do, but it'd by the Right Thing™️ to do.