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Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML??

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  To: Gene Wirchenko
From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com>

On 07/26/2012 06:16 PM, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:35:01 +0200, Robert Klemme
> <shortcutter@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 23.07.2012 22:53, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
>>> On Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:11:29 +0200, Robert Klemme
>>> <shortcutter@googlemail.com> wrote:

>>>        Why would one use this class?  [If I am a newbie, I may not
>>> know.]

>
>       I think it the most important thing.  If one does not know why
> one would use a class, why even bother?

IMHO the class documentation is reference material which should provide the 
basic facts so I can decide myself whether the class is appropriate for the use 
case at hand or not.  Learning to judge that is part of the process of learning 
to program.  That should not be piggybacked on reference documentation.

>       I have seen this botched in intro classes where recursion is
> introduced.  All too often the example used is factorial which is much
> more quickly and clearly solved using iteration.  The student gets the
> impression that it is overly complicated and never bothers with it.

Yeah, but the cases where recursion makes the code simpler are typically more 
complex algorithms (backtracking for example).  I suspect all methods which can 
be converted into a loop via tail recursion optimization are as simple as 
factorial.

>> Often class documentation in the Java stdlib does contain usage
>> examples.  But for fundamental classes like String there are so many
>> potential use cases that you cannot really cover them all in the class doc.
>
>       One example of the method in use is a problem?

Many methods do not make much sense alone (for example, Map's containsKey()).  
Then the question is where should the example be placed etc.

I think we have a quite different expectation towards JavaDoc.  For me it's 
reference material, so I expect to get formal information (allowed arguments, 
semantics) while you seem to be more concerned with providing information that 
helps learn the language and std library.  I think that information is better 
covered in a tutorial or other type of document (maybe even a book) and it 
would get in your way when working with the library.  Because then the 
introductory information easily gets in your way and you need to look longer 
for the important information.

>> I am not sure though whether I agree that the situation is as bad as
>> your list makes it sound.  For example, java.util.* is pretty well
>> documented IMHO.
>
>       One effect that I have noticed with things like this is that a
> newbie struggles.  Someone who already knows does not see a problem.
> He is already past it.  so it rarely gets addressed.

But if it were such a big issue for a large number of people learning Java I am 
pretty sure it would be addressed.  So I conclude the situation cannot be as 
bad as you observe it.

Kind regards

        robert

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Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Robert Klemme" <robert.klemme@1:261/38.remove-10ae-this> - 2012-07-27 18:41 +0000
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Gene Wirchenko" <gene.wirchenko@1:261/38.remove-10ae-this> - 2012-07-27 18:41 +0000
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Robert Klemme" <robert.klemme@1:261/38.remove-z1h-this> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0000
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Gene Wirchenko" <gene.wirchenko@1:261/38.remove-z1h-this> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0000
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "markspace" <markspace@1:261/38.remove-z1h-this> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0000
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "David Lamb" <david.lamb@1:261/38.remove-z1h-this> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0000
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Robert Klemme" <robert.klemme@1:261/38.remove-z1h-this> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0000
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Eric Sosman" <eric.sosman@1:261/38.remove-5ky-this> - 2012-07-28 20:40 +0000
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Gene Wirchenko" <gene.wirchenko@1:261/38.remove-rf4-this> - 2012-07-30 19:00 +0000

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