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Do you actually read documentation, or just search it when you’re stuck? (programming.dev)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/programming@programming.dev
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I’ve been switching from Vim to Helix recently. I did the built-in tutor, and whenever I need to configure something, I look it up in the docs. The problem is, I only find what I already know to look for. Without reading the documentation more broadly, I don’t really know what I can configure in the first place.

So I’m curious, do you sit down and read documentation to understand a tool, or do you just search it when you hit a specific problem?

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[–] 5 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

As a great example of the last point I LOVE this thing. https://doc.rust-lang.org/stable/rust-by-example/

Rust has an official book but it also has this list of runnable programs going over the features and usage.

So when I want to quickly see/remember a topic I can just look at it but if I want to learn inner workings in more detail to mess around with I can search it in the other documentation.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    Damn, even when I don't mention it, it's apparently obvious that I'm gushing about Rust. 😅

    I had the Rust CLI Book in mind: https://rust-cli.github.io/book/index.html
    Especially, if you have experience in another language already, the first chapter shows you how to develop and ship a useful Rust application in a short amount of time. And then the second chapter contains all the detail information, which you might need, after you've run off and started building your own thing.

    But yes, Rust By Example is also really great. It happens a lot that you search "xyz in Rust" and it's one of the first results, and always worth clicking on.

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