What is missing exactly? The dictionary is a pretty good version of a man page. Dan's book is ok at the level of 'how to think like a computer scientist' - simple how to get started. Very nice as far as it goes. Needs a second edition. The pdf is ok also as a printable version of the dictionary with a few more examples, assuming it ever gets finished.
There are two things missing, or rather, there is one thing missing, but it comes in two flavors. One is the equivalent of Dive Into Python, which early on contains the immortal line "You know how other books go on and on about programming fundamentals and finally work up to building a complete, working program? Let's skip all that." This is the sort of book that says, you already know about classes, here is how they work in Python. The second is the equivalent of Hetland's Python book. It is step by step, this is how you do certain things, using various bits of the language, with an account of pitfalls. Starts simple and moves you through writing real applications. Both are the reverse of the dictionary: they both start with something to do, and then show how to combine different bits of the language to get it done. The Perl book Minimal Perl is about halfway between these two. Chapters like, why Perl is a better awk. So start from an assumed knowledge and then show how Rev does this particular set of tasks, that the known language was designed to do, but does it better. Again its in reverse, it goes from problem to multiple bits of the language. Not that I'm being hung up on Perl, Python or Ruby - these are just well regarded examples of docs. Getting to be a beginner in Rev is easy. Getting to be a sophisticated user in Rev after that is a Zen like experience. You go to live with the master who attacks you at random intervals, whatever you are doing, for no reason. Eventually, you hesitate before entering a doorway. The master emerges and bows deeply. Son, you are getting there, he says. The priority ought to be: One, finish what you started. So either trash the pdf or finish it, don't just leave it there twisting in the wind. Two must be, the reverse dictionary - here is how to do specific things, using various parts of the language together. The tutorials are a start but only a start. Its a lot of work - Hetland's book is amazing, and Mark Lutz' book even more so. But I really think that 400-500 systematic pages of this is what you need if you're to attract a lot of new people who are not oriented to Zen based learning. If you are doing Dive into Rev for the experienced, then it can be shorter. I don't know which should have priority, Dive, or something introductory. It depends on which market you're going after. Whether the less experienced new people are worth the trouble, you'd have to know more about the numbers for Rev to assess. I'm not complaining by the way. Personally I don't mind the odd frustrations and find them well compensated by the sudden blinding flash of illumination. In fact, I sort of like the mental exercise. But a lot of people are in more of a hurry, and if you want to get to them, you have to offer them something like that. Peter _______________________________________________ use-revolution mailing list [email protected] Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
