Improving the "Data Structure, Containers, Collections" and Generics wiki pages

[jouborg]

I'm new to fpc/Lazarus but am a seasoned software engineer.

As a newcomer, I found that the Data Structures, Containers, Collections page page and the Generics page led me down a path selecting collection classes from the FGL instead of the more modern (and recommended?) Generics.Collections from the RTL.

There are at least 3 things that I am motivated to address which I think will make the docs more effective for programmers:
- section order (i.e. put the recommended first, instead of "telling the history")
- emphasis (e.g. on the Generics page, the getting started points to the fgl unit, instead of the Generics.Collections)
- examples

Any objection if I proceed to make these modifications? Any other feedback?

[egsuh]

There should be much improvements and more documentations for Lazarus/Free Pascal.

On the Data Structures... page, I trid to see contents of TPair, TSortedArray, and TValTree, etc., but I cannot find any explanation on them.

[trev]

Any objection if I proceed to make these modifications? Any other feedback?

No, feel free to go ahead. The Wiki harvest could be great, but the labourers are few.

[trev]

There should be much improvements and more documentations for Lazarus/Free Pascal.

It's a collaborative endeavour, so feel free to add improvements and any missing documentation.

[lucamar]

Both pages could be improved but I'd not change much of "Data_Structures, Containers, Collections"; it's mostly an index and I think its structure reflects rather well what it's about, though its contents seem to be a little dated. "Generics" is another kettle of fish: that one really needs a full overhaul.

So go ahead and improve: it's a wiki so if anyone doesn't like what you do (s)he can always undo it or change it to whatever (s)he feels it should be

Just one thing: when adding "content" try to use the best English of which you're capable and, if anything, over-explain any feature/example. The wiki is frequently the first stop for newbies and even mid-level programmers and while it cannot (and shouldn't, IMHO) replace the formal documentation, it should nevetheless be kept/modified to a somewhat "high" standard; as if it were, say, parts of a "course book". You're a software engineer so you know what I mean, I think

[egsuh]

If editing the wiki is allowed, I'd like to put results of my experience and experiments (of course in suitable formats and sentences to the purpose of wiki). I was keeping them in my own document, but I forget later where I had recorded them.

[lucamar]

If editing the wiki is allowed, I'd like to put results of my experience and experiments (of course in suitable formats and sentences to the purpose of wiki). I was keeping them in my own document, but I forget later where I had recorded them.

Of course it's allowed: That's exactly what a wiki (of the kind of this one) is for!

Only, one should try to add value (and correct errors) rather than tear down and replace what there is already there. Writing about your experience and experiments should fit nicely. That's the point of the wiki: things which can't be adequatly added in the more formal documentation but complement it.

[jouborg]

Thanks all for the warm welcome and wonderful replies!