The Code Can Contain More Information
Another argument against auto-documentation
tools was that the source code contains little information. The source
code contains data points, lists of code items and their classification,
but little description of what they do, what they mean, or why they
are the way they are. Neither the code nor the code comments explain
the API to an external user.
Just because the source code doesnt
contain more information, doesnt mean that it cant.
And even if the source code never does
contain more information due to company politics, this does not mean
that auto-documentation tools cant still be employed. Many such
tools provide hooks that allow external documentation to be included
in the build, in addition to hyperlinking to and from an external systems.
Auto-documentation tools can still provide many benefits to the technical
writer even in the rare cases of resistance from the software engineers.
Open-Source tools compliments of Voyant Technologies, Inc. and Glenn C. Maxey.
01/13/2003
TP Tools v2-00-0a
# tpt-hug-02