So, I highlighted the poFetchDetailsOnDemand option in the Object Inspector and pushed F1. It brings up the woefully inadequate local help reference. I was expecting to see a list of all the options with their associated meanings.
Then I googled delphi poFetchDetailsOnDemand, not what I was looking for.
So then I googled site:docwiki.embarcadero.com poFetchDetailsOnDemand
Google Search Syntax:
http://google.com/search?q=site%3Adocwiki.embarcadero.com+poFetchDetailsOnDemand
And... poof... perfect... just what I was looking for.
EMBT should redirect the F1-key to do a web search on their DocWiki and do away with the local help.
Enjoy!
Semper Fi,
Gunny Mike
end.
I second that! I have the DocWiki set up as a search provider in Chrome and never press F1 for help (intentionally). Even when they do have the content (which is seldom), the HTML Help viewer is still very slow to open and it's a poor user interface to boot.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great tip BUT it also shows how poorly Delphi is documented. As a long time user and big fan of Delphi every time I watch a demo or read a blog about new capabilities I make an attempt to learn about the new features. Unfortunately these items are rarely documented. Your awesome technique can't get blood from a stone.
ReplyDeleteFor example try:
site:docwiki.embarcadero.com fddatamove
site:docwiki.embarcadero.com FDJSONDataSets
Please Emb - give us the tools to make our investment pay off - Invest a little more into documentation and a little less into marketing!
@craig - However, I got results with these:
Deletesite:docwiki.embarcadero.com datamove
site:docwiki.embarcadero.com JSONDataSets
Yes you do get results but not documentation for the two controls I was searching for.
DeleteThese are two examples of wonderful new capabilities that have been added to Delphi, but without basic documentation it's like having a brand new car without the keys.
@craig - You could always submit a QC 8-)
DeleteGunny et al - the docwiki is the live, real time documentation repository for our products. The wiki is generated from an xml repository that the embarcadero doc team is constantly updating. From time to time, the doc team also runs a tool that creates help files and other format files (PDF, mobi, epub, etc) that you can download and use. You will usually see monthly/quarterly official help file update notices you can download and install. You can also go to the doc web site at http://docs.embarcadero.com/ to see latest updated files.
ReplyDeleteYes - there is more to be documented and more examples to be shown - RAD Studio is a large product with more than 80,000 document parts. If you find something missing, incomplete or wrong you can create a Quality Central entry for the documentation item and please include the URL.
David I.
@David I - Documentation is always the last thing on the list. I find the docwiki the most accurate and helpful.
Delete@DavidI If the docwiki is "the live, real time documentation repository" then please give us the option to open it directly in our default browser by pressing F1. The information is newer and the HTML Help viewer is a terrible user experience even relative to very old browsers. Pretty please.
Deletehttp://www.delphipraxis.net/dp_reference.php
ReplyDelete