I think most of the documentation for API2 does more to hide "how the code
works" in the API itself. This is wonderful for people just planning on
using it at it's most primitive level and never extending it.
This is how you make a DynLayer... (no discussion of DIV's etc..).
This is how you move a DynLayer...
This is how you talk to a DynLayer... (no discussion of the value of
event-bubbling).
Pascal delivered the closest "how the code works" version with his DynaCore
Developers Documentation. But alas even that tends to glaze over the real
inner working of the API and is really intended for a solid coding developer
that has spent a great deal of time studying the code of the API itself.
Dan's original API1 documentation was like working with an excellent
teacher. He defined a problem, discussed both Netscape's and Microsoft's
approach then demonstrated a cross-browser solution using his API.
You learned about both browser versions of CSS-P and an API all in one pass.
Wondrous!
With the API2 we act more like a Dreamweaver users manual. Go here. Pick
this. Set that. Magic happens. In the end the person can make a web page
with functionality but has no clue what-so-ever as to the inner workings of
it.
I don't know, maybe this is how it is suppose to be. But I think we miss
the real value this API has if we follow this course. Open Source is so
grassroots and your participation in "code problem"/"code discussion"/"code
solution" thru threaded venues like this do more to teacher you then all the
bound tech books combined.
I think we could make it better and document the basics of the API better so
that collaborative extending of it happens faster and over a larger group of
contributors. The Pascal's, Roberts and Jordi's all "got there" the hard
way (there are many individuals involved here who also deserve that "got
there" distinction).
The hard way requires eat sleep and drinking not only "this" API but
everything you can find on event models, the DOM's, OOP JavaScript, OOP
principals (encapsulation, abstraction), etc... This is not a short path
to take but "if" you take it. You will end up in a very special place.
A place few reside.
DS
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