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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Reading specs (How to)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:26:41 -0700
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ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) writes:

>   How many of you have read through the C++ spec, like, all the
>   way through?
>
>   Have you guys checked out the latest version of the C++ spec yet?
>
>   I was just browsing around and I stumbled upon this little
>   guide in the WHATWG HTML spec on how to properly read through
>   these kinds of technical specifications!
>
> |1.9.1 How to read this specification
> |
> |This specification should be read like all other
> |specifications.  First, it should be read cover-to-cover,
> |multiple times.  Then, it should be read backwards at least
> |once.  Then it should be read by picking random sections from
> |the contents list and following all the crossreferences.
> |
> HTML Living Standard - Last Updated 9 April 2024

Any document that includes such advice is giving a tacit
acknowledgement that what is being described is poorly
designed or that the describing document is poorly written,
or both.