Dict help files

arne's icon

The help files the the Dict objects seem unfinished, or at least could be simplified.

For those of us not working in Jitter, or with other object-oriented languages, displaying the references to objects is more confusing than showing how the messages are used with the objects themselves.

I keep putting in an actual Dict object to see how the other objects work.

Ben Bracken's icon

Hi Arne,

Could you be more specific? Which dict help files? What about them are confusing? I'm happy to take a look.

-Ben

arne's icon

For example, the dict.pack help.

Connecting a dict object to the output of dict.pack shows how it works in context. Even clearer would be to include a dict.view object to show its contents actively changing.

Without it, users are looking at the reference (dictionary u007000984, for example), which I find needlessly confusing. How does this show me how to easily use the object?

Similarly, the advanced tab in dict.pack help doesn't show how referencing other dictionaries can be easily used. In this case, as a user, I'd like to be able to double click the dict objects and see the origins and results.

chase's icon

The main Dictionaries reference appears to be in a rough draft state. For instance, this passage:

Using Dictionaries with Ordinary Objects

Some practical examples... e.g. dict.pack

...which appears to be a note to the author, reminding them to expand on that section, rather than anything intended for the actual user to see.

Dave Holton's icon

Hi chase

Thanks for noticing. This is noted and will be fixed up soon.

chase's icon

Thanks Dave!