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1. anigbr+(OP)[view] [source] 2021-10-27 23:15:45
That's impressive. Discoverability and the varying quality of documentation is a big headache for new programmers or people engaging with a an unfamiliar framework/API/library. I really like the comments pointing out alternatives (json or xml) and the static lat-long values.

One reason I've championed the development of visual programming (flow-based, node diagrams, etc) is that while you don't want to compress a big complex program down into a single layer and become unreadable in the process, graphical methods are a great way for people to see what options they have available and just point at things they want to try out.

Instead of struggling with syntax at the same time as trying to find out what they can do with a new API, they can engage in trial-and-error to find out the capabilities and what makes it worth using, then build up their competency once they are clear about their objectives.

I'm looking forward to trying this now that it's available for my favorite IDE, but I'll probably want to set up a hotkey to switch it on and off as I need it. Once I get fully comfortable with something I often find code completion tools get in the way of my flow.

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