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For all the hate it gets, I think the way PHP does their documentation is ideal. Easy to search for what you need, it recommends other, similar classes/functio

For all the hate it gets, I think the way PHP does their documentation is ideal. Easy to search for what you need, it recommends other, similar classes/functions, gives a good description of the inputs and what something is expected to return. Then, in addition to that, there's the user-supplied examples and commentary to help further clarify things. I really like the model they went with.

wizzwizz4 6y ago
I concur. PHP is a horrible language, but I don't hate working in it. The documentation is the reason.
- ljm 6y ago
  I concur and add that PHP has actually evolved quite nicely, and it's horribleness is merely an outdated meme. Java is still playing catchup to the stuff PHP has added in recent years. Just because it was shit 15 years ago doesn't mean it's still shit now.
  - tonyjstark 6y ago
    IMHO there are still some edges that drive you mad until you remember them but the documentation is really good and every release is full of improvements. Also many available frameworks and tools in PHP world are outstanding. For me PHP provides a serious Rapid to Market Edge.
  - Phrodo_00 6y ago
    is the PHP standard library still an inconsistent mess?
    - geerlingguy 6y ago
      The inconsistencies are either fully removed (many in 7.x, more in 8.x), deprecated, or at least very well documented these days (e.g. with top level documentation warnings about any potential pitfalls).
elijahparker 6y ago
Agreed -- and the examples in the user comments were invaluable to me way back when I was getting started.
aszlig 6y ago
That's certainly true for the standard library and the documentation on the language itself. However for the internals, this wasn't always the case and it looked more like this: http://web.archive.org/web/20060626083819/http://www.php.net:80/manual/en/zend-api.zend-parse-parameters.php http://web.archive.org/web/20060626083819/http://www.php.net...

wizzwizz4 6y ago

I concur. PHP is a horrible language, but I don't hate working in it. The documentation is the reason.

ljm 6y ago
I concur and add that PHP has actually evolved quite nicely, and it's horribleness is merely an outdated meme. Java is still playing catchup to the stuff PHP has added in recent years. Just because it was shit 15 years ago doesn't mean it's still shit now.
- tonyjstark 6y ago
  IMHO there are still some edges that drive you mad until you remember them but the documentation is really good and every release is full of improvements. Also many available frameworks and tools in PHP world are outstanding. For me PHP provides a serious Rapid to Market Edge.
- Phrodo_00 6y ago
  is the PHP standard library still an inconsistent mess?
  - geerlingguy 6y ago
    The inconsistencies are either fully removed (many in 7.x, more in 8.x), deprecated, or at least very well documented these days (e.g. with top level documentation warnings about any potential pitfalls).

elijahparker 6y ago

Agreed -- and the examples in the user comments were invaluable to me way back when I was getting started.

aszlig 6y ago

That's certainly true for the standard library and the documentation on the language itself. However for the internals, this wasn't always the case and it looked more like this: http://web.archive.org/web/20060626083819/http://www.php.net:80/manual/en/zend-api.zend-parse-parameters.php http://web.archive.org/web/20060626083819/http://www.php.net...