Re: suggestion: function family names

How can a so called "stable" application base itself on a generated page ? Why don't you checkout the XML sources of the docs and analyze the XML directly ? The XML sources contains what you are asking for (the mysql_XXXX() functions for example are under the reference/mysql/functions/ directory) Mehdi J.M. Coder wrote:

I mean the general category or type of the function - i.e., mysql_num_rows() is in the Mysql family of functions, with the linkname 'mysql' (from ref.mysql.php). I like this, no problem - what I wonder though, I'm writing something which produces some info based on the manual, and one of the things it says about a function is which type of function it is (string, array, mysql, etc). It' be nice if the type classifier could be formalized, this would help apps that produce info from the docs be more 'stable'. -James Gabor Hojtsy wrote:

Thx to Sean Coates for his suggestion re. getting synopsized info from the manual. I have a small suggestion after looking at Sean's excellent site phpdoc.info and looking at the schema DocSkel, http://wiki.phpdoc.info/DocSkel/FunctionskeletonDotXml?v=103j At the moment, functions are divided into separate chapters, or sections, of the function reference, with real-language sounding names in the anchortext and [a-z0-9]+ names in the links, which differ from the real-language names. Real language names usually don't make efficient classifiers for automated tasks, w/spaces and alternate spellings and all, but I as yet don't see any officially sanctioned classification names. I'm not familliar with the workings of the docs generation process, but could I suggest, why not just officialize the current [a-z0-9]+ function family names as they're found in the manual links? This would give people who are writing stuff for manipulating/presenting the docs a bit more of a permanent way to refer to them. Otherwise these names are just fairly arbitrary words in the links, which can change without much thought. If there are official classification names floating around somewhere, would appreciate a headsup.

Function names, like mysql_num_rows becomes mysql-num-rows in the URL, this is formalized. What is the problem with this, or what else would you like to have? Would you please provide examples? Goba