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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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[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 6 points 4 months ago

Because usually if you end up at the API reference in that situation it's a code / project smell that other stuff is going wrong.

If I want to use a library to do something, you should be able to search for what you want to do + language / framework, find the library's docs, follow the install instructions and then look through the highest level API / instructions and then just go from there.

If you find yourself confused at unhelpful API references that just means that they have badly written top level API docs, badly written intros, or quite probably just badly written APIs.