Req #72334 [Opn->Wfx]: Link(s) to view the relevant PHP C source code in the documentation
Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=72334&edit=1
ID: 72334
Updated by: cmb@php.net
Reported by: webmaster_20160604 at cubiclesoft dot com
Summary: Link(s) to view the relevant PHP C source code in
the documentation
-Status: Open
+Status: Wont fix
Type: Feature/Change Request
Package: Documentation problem
Operating System: N/A
PHP Version: Irrelevant
-Assigned To:
+Assigned To: cmb
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
I'm afraid this will go nowhere; the doc team is already at its
limits.
<http://lxr.php.net/> is down for years (see bug #73660);
you can
use <https://heap.space/> instead.
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2016-06-06 16:59:00] cmb@php.net
FWIW, there's <http://lxr.php.net/> which allows for
code browsing
of the PHP sources.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2016-06-04 15:56:35] webmaster_20160604 at cubiclesoft dot com
Description:
------------
One of the greatest sources of frustration in PHP is the disconnect between the documentation and
the actual C source code. I personally keep a copy of the PHP C source code handy for searching
purposes but I know I'm in the minority and, even then, I rarely crack it open because doing so
requires overcoming certain mental inertia. I also have observed a general disdain of PHP userland
developers on the internals list because userland devs don't look at/understand the C source
code.
Let's try to fix this. If each page of the documentation linked back to the relevant C source
code (e.g. via an online git viewer), userland devs might actually click those links and learn how
PHP works behind the scenes. It that happens, it has great potential to both massively boost the
number of people working on the core and dramatically reduce the amount of noise on bugs.php.net.
At the very least, it would raise awareness of how each built-in function, method, and class
actually works, which is better than people *guessing* as to how they work in comments and forums
across the Internet and on php.net itself. Nothing is more frustrating than to see someone
incorrectly guess how a software product works when the source code to that product is readily
available.
I realize linking back to the C source code from the documentation is a fairly involved task. A new
documentation section would have to be standardized upon, every page of the XML source would have to
be updated to add the section, and then every change verified. Keeping the links in sync with the
main source code could be a challenge as well. It might also require tagging the core with some
sort of common format, which would, of course, cause no small upheaval on the internals list.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=72334&edit=1
Thread (3 messages)