Re: GNATCOLL JSON Parsing

["Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de>]

On 2018-12-03 16:02, Olivier Henley wrote:
>>> The problem is that the authors do not provide practical examples of using
>>> libraries. It is difficult for a beginner to understand what to do.
> 
> I totally agree. It is like some authors
> 
> a) do not want others to use their stuff
> b) think that Ada does not need new kids around
> c) think you need to pass some kind of implicit test to be 'blessed' in using their stuff
> d) want some form of 'extended special attention' from strangers
> 
> ... It is always related to some form of God complex ...

Authors simply cannot provide any good getting started samples:

1. Their perspective is massively distorted by the level of knowledge of 
the software internals. Things that appear them obvious can turn a total 
mystery for a beginner.

2. Authors know surprisingly little about the potential application of 
their software. They have some general guesses about the purpose, but 
nothing substantial about concrete uses. They usually get quite 
astonished (horrified? (:-)) the ways end users apply their software.

3. Writing introductory material requires a great deal of teaching 
talent to write. Most authors lack it. It is a different job and 
different qualification.

At best an average author can write a decent reference manual, nothing 
more. Ergo, it must be a third person to write samples and introductory 
stuff.
> I cant stand that kind of 'counter-productive' attitude. It is not a competence issue, its just people want to get going, period. Personally I don't have the time to get in the head of some authors, don't have the time to dive in their code (from the lib perspective I'm a client not a contributor) and frankly not actually interested to understand until I know at least what they publish actually works. So many projects are broken right from the start.
> 
> Ada, being nowhere on the popularity charts should really streamline its 'tutorials' offering for surviving. Some of the old guard seems to be completely disconnected from that fact. No wonder something like Rust is taking over the world... when we already have Ada.

They have a much bigger community with much more people available to 
write independent manuals, samples, blogs, make youtube videos. They 
have lost of people eager to describe their experience with deploying 
particular software for particular projects, we do not.

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de