Jaa

F1 for...?

  • Artikkeli

Let's get a little more specific. You're typing away in your favourite development environment (Visual Studio) using your favourite language (C#). Suddenly you need help, so you hit F1. What do you want to see? A picture of Drew Barrymore? Sorry, forget that, what kind of help do you want to see?

Bottom line - what's more useful to you: bringing up a page in help that lists the syntax for whatever keyword you are on, or bring up a page in help that starts off with a ten line code example?

Now just remember we're talking C# help here, not .NET Frameworks help. Two different beasts I'm afraid to say.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    Syntax and then a code example. I'll learn how to use that way. Starting off with a code example means I'll solve what ever problem I had, but I won't learn anything else and I'll have to go to help again another time probably.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    I have a hard time imagining when I'd ever want keyword syntax help; it'd almost always be API reference that I'd be looking for.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    Whatever happens, I don't want dynamic help comming to the fore and slowing my IDE down. :)

    Since you can't seem to turn off dynamic help entirely, I've gotten out of the habit of hittin F1, so that it never comes up. :(
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    I dunno, depends on the picture of Drew... :)
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    Hmm.. Drew pops up - "Looks like you need help on your C# code!" - like Clippy? :-)
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    I agree with both Michael and Shane. I don't like the automatic dynamic help either. It's slowing down everything, and never seems to point me in the direction I expect. When I press F1, I want (non-formal) syntax followed by a small example, and pointers to the formal syntax and background info.
  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2004
    depends: incase i'm on a api or method call, i'm lookig for a api/method call reference. incase i'm on a keyword i'm probably looking for the keyword reference, though i can't remember when i was lookup up how to use 'if' the last time. but i keep forgetting things all of the time so that was probably yesterday... anyhow, what i certainly don't what is dynamic help popping up.
  • Anonymous
    March 04, 2004
    Syntax followed by example followed by the rest of the stuff you usually put in help.

    I remember trying to get to grips with C# in VS7 the help files were pitiful hardly any examples, now its getting better but When I want help I want to quickly see the syntax then an example within the first half page.

    I never use dynamic help. I'd rather find itmyself.