NOTE: Article in Progress

API

command line interface

searchable

tips, examples

complex commands (in conjunction with other softwares?)

three examples: library API, Web Service API, Command Line

command line:

  1. terminal commands, infopages, manpages, unix, linux
  2. command option -h or --help
  3. evolving commands, newer versions, command option -v or --version
  4. command options: short and long arguments, positional arguments,
  5. command input: usually command line arguments or some files, output from other command through piping
  6. command output: any format, usually xml, json, pretty printed format, plaintext, formatted tables
  7. command error/exception: return codes accessed using $? (linux) or output message

(standard) library API:

  1. functions, classes
  2. method signature
  3. data types
  4. sideeffect
  5. input preconditions, arguments
  6. return value (distinguishing mechanism for output/error)
  7. errors/exceptions
  8. errors: input preconditions not followed, exception during computation

web service API:

  1. operations
  2. method signature
  3. JSON, XML
  4. data types, SOAP, REST
  5. sideeffect
  6. input: data types, (xml, json) schema, input preconditions
  7. output: data types, (xml, json) schema, output postconditions
  8. errors/exceptions (like HTTP status codes for distinguishing)
  9. errors: input preconditions not followed, exception during computation

multilingual

automation: commonly used outputs like manpages, infopages, HTML

other possible outputs: docbook, OS-specific and application-specific styles and templates

automated generators examples: doxygen

miscellaneous information: authors, developers, maintainers, website, source code, testing, installation (different OS/distributions), deployment, dependencies

References

  1. Documentation
  2. ...