PostgreSQL is the gold standard for usage level docs.
The Linux kernel however is by far my favourite because of the in-depth design documents in-tree in easy to read plain-text format.
Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
11–20 of 24 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#12Is it just me or are the Stripe docs not the paragon of usefulness they once were? Still head and shoulders above many but last time I started a new project I found duplicated, outdated, confusing docs all over the place. Managing the complex payments state machine seems to get harder and harder as Stripe matures.
I dove in for the first time several months ago and had the exact same impression. I found the data model and webhook system to be pretty quirky on the whole - though not impossible to work with at all.
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#13PostgreSQL is the gold standard for usage level docs. The Linux kernel however is by far my favourite because of the in-depth design documents in-tree in easy to read plain-text format.
I like the postgres docs as much as anyone but those flow diagrams sqlite has for commands are incredible and I wish pg had something like them. I know postgres tends to have way more options and they'd be unwieldy in some cases but still valuable I think.
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#14PostgreSQL is the gold standard for usage level docs. The Linux kernel however is by far my favourite because of the in-depth design documents in-tree in easy to read plain-text format.
I like the postgres docs as much as anyone but those flow diagrams sqlite has for commands are incredible and I wish pg had something like them. I know postgres tends to have way more options and they'd be unwieldy in some cases but still valuable I think.
Yeah those are nice. sqlite also has great internal design docs too, on par with the kernel. Surprised it slipped my mind actually as it's one of the best maintained and documented projects full stop.
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#15I really like the Elixir programming language documentation: https://hexdocs.pm/elixir/Kernel.html
It's easy to find things, clearly written, and usually answer any questions I have about how to use a particular standard library function.
I really appreciate the code samples, which are present all over the documentation.
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#16MDN for the JavaScript language and standard browser APIs.
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#17I really like the Elixir programming language documentation: https://hexdocs.pm/elixir/Kernel.html It's easy to find things, clearly written, and usually answer any questions I have about how to use a particular standard library function. I really appreciate the code samples, which are present all over the documentation.
My favorite feature is the way source code links are added automatically and consistently. Just look for the little links to the right of the module / function / macro name!
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#18Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#19Do man pages count? (I'm not trolling... I often pull them up on the web rather than in terminal but they're incredibly useful.)
Re: Ask HN: Which are your favorite developer docs?
#20The Lua language documentation[1] covers the entire API with examples and signatures, the language grammar and the changes from the previous version including specific incompatibilities where applicable, all in a single page. It's all very easy to read and understand.