Documenting APIs and SDKs" review?

Subject: Documenting APIs and SDKs" review?
From: skwpt <skwpt -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 03:31:48 -0700 (PDT)

Carol:

I recently received the two books Gordon & Gordon
wrote for technical writers. While I found "System
Design for Technical Writers" to be helpful, I was
less pleased with "Documenting APIs and SDKs." That's
not to say that the material wasn't comprehensive or
that that class wouldn't have been *great*; it's just
that I was expecting quite a bit more for $85. With no
prior API writing experience, the book (which is
really a PowerPoint presentation in GBC binding
without speaker notes) is really just a guide for the
class.

Now that I'm actually starting to document SDKs and
APIs, the workbook will prove handy, buy it's not the
best starting place for a newbie. IMHO.

There was a long thread on this subject about a month
ago; if you search the archives for APIs you should
get a ton of hits. If I can find the messages I
received from the TECHWR-Lers who responded to my
questions, I'll forward them to you.

Meanwhile, here are a couple sites I found helpful

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/futrelle/teaching/api-s.html

http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/archives/9904/techwhirl-9904-00160.html

http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/archives/9904/techwhirl-9904-00169.html

http://techwriting.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fpw1.netcom.com%2F%7Egscale%2Fsusanwg%2Fcmindware%2Fapi.htm

I don't know your background, but if you go this
route, you will have to know some code. Either C or
Java is a pretty good place to start. For less than
$10 pick up "The Elements of Java Style" for an
excellent intro to OOP.

HTH
Kelly

P.S. Feel free to contact me for more details, but
please e-mail me and not the list, as I am on digest.

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