[Xapian-discuss] Writing a Quick Start Guide to Xapian

[Olly Betts]

On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 03:31:14PM +0200, Chris wrote:
> i (unfortunately) have to agree, that the current Xapian docs are
> 'really newbie unfriendly' as they seem to target experienced C++/OO
> coders mainly.

I think it's just that they've mostly been written by experienced
C++ coders, rather than that we've deliberately aimed them at such
users.

> I've read/played with the source for weeks 'till i understood the
> basics, so i would give +1 for a quick start guide for the major
> progamming languages, including extensive examples.
> Maybe even jump on the RoR train, as there are literally tens of
> thousand of Webcoders waiting to use Xapian, which are just desquamated,
> because Xapian "seems" so complicated (which it isn't, but this insight
> might take a while).

I don't think we want to focus on a particular software framework
for this - even for a really popular framework, that will greatly
restrict the number of people the finished document would be useful to.
Ideally we want a document which anybody new to Xapian would find
useful, and which would get them up to speed quickly.

People can contribute versions of examples for particular frameworks as
well as for particular languages in cases where it makes sense to do so.

> So just for the unlikely case, that you need another unilluminated
> xapian api user, i'm ready for travel :)

We can nominate up to 5 people, and you'd be the 4th, so sure.

Where would you be travelling from?

Cheers,
    Olly