Problem/Motivation

Core is full of interface documentation like "TypedConfigManagerInterface: Defines an interface for typed configuration manager". That's not particularly useful. Some interfaces do not have a doxygen at all. The attached file lists all the interfaces in Drupal\Core and Drupal\Component together with the doxygen length. It's... not pretty.

Proposed resolution

Write doxygen.

Remaining tasks

Write doxygen.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R0DPvI2u7q1u-sWWaeELRDbTjXB0b7U7...

CommentFileSizeAuthor
interfaces.txt14.92 KBchx
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Comments

jhodgdon’s picture

Sounds like the next step on this one would be to go through the interfaces and figure out which ones really need more docs or are totally inaccurate, and which ones are probably OK.

For instance, it's possible that an interface called Drupal\Core\Mail\MailManagerInterface could have docs like "Defines an interface for managing mail" and that would probably be sufficient, but on the other hand, some interfaces have no docs and some of them are for things that people don't generally know about (like Typed Data or Typed Config) and should at least have an @see to a topic that explains what they are.

chx’s picture

Assigned: Unassigned » chx

I am totally on it.

rmenes379’s picture

I can help clean this up if needed.

webchick’s picture

Title: Most interface doxygen is useless » Most interface doxygen is unhelpful or missing

More accurate and less aggro title.

xjm’s picture

Title: Most interface doxygen is unhelpful or missing » Improve interface doxygen where it is insufficient

Even less aggro, since the previous one still got my back up. :P

chx’s picture

Issue summary: View changes
chx’s picture

Seriously: I need education here. The doxygens in question literally gives us no information that's not in the interface name. Very often they are the same except some small words (for, a etc). So: they are useless. Why calling them useless is aggro?

jhodgdon’s picture

I agree with chx here... The original issue title of "Most interface documentation is useless" ***was actually accurate***. Take a look at the docs (prior to the couple of patches that chx has already made)... As was pointed out in #7 and earlier:
- Some interfaces don't even have a doc block
- Some are completely inaccurate (copy/pasted from a different interface and never edited)
- Most of the rest just basically repeat the name of the class.
- Only a few actually give you information that you could use.
How is that not "most interface documentation is useless"?

On the other hand, the issue title was rather blunt, and there are always more diplomatic ways to point out that Drupal has problems (like making a more bland title but marking the issue Major and Bug, which tends to make people say "fair enough" rather than rushing to soften the blow).

Anyway... I was also annoyed and sad that people felt the accurate title was aggressive and that they had to retitle the issue -- which now sounds like it's a task that affects few interfaces (which is not accurate) rather than a major bug (which is accurate). But I just let it go. Let's get back to the work of fixing the problems and move on.

[Note: I was going to rant a lot more here, but I deleted the rest.]

dawehner’s picture

Well we could make that explicit: Too many interfaces doxygen are insufficent

jhodgdon’s picture

Or we could stop discussing the issue title and just get back to actually fixing the problems ;)

chx’s picture

ifrik’s picture

I'm not quite clear about the issue description: Is it about interface text?
If so, can we take it up during the sprints at DrupalCon Barcelona, as part of an effort to improve UI text?

cilefen’s picture

Title: Improve interface doxygen where it is insufficient » [meta] Improve interface doxygen where it is insufficient

This is a meta issue about improving doxygen documentation on object interfaces. It is nothing to do with UI text.

Version: 8.0.x-dev » 8.1.x-dev

Drupal 8.0.6 was released on April 6 and is the final bugfix release for the Drupal 8.0.x series. Drupal 8.0.x will not receive any further development aside from security fixes. Drupal 8.1.0-rc1 is now available and sites should prepare to update to 8.1.0.

Bug reports should be targeted against the 8.1.x-dev branch from now on, and new development or disruptive changes should be targeted against the 8.2.x-dev branch. For more information see the Drupal 8 minor version schedule and the Allowed changes during the Drupal 8 release cycle.

chx’s picture

Assigned: chx » Unassigned

Version: 8.1.x-dev » 8.2.x-dev

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Version: 8.5.x-dev » 8.6.x-dev

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Version: 8.9.x-dev » 9.2.x-dev

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Version: 9.2.x-dev » 9.3.x-dev
quietone’s picture

Status: Active » Fixed
Issue tags: +Bug Smash Initiative

All the child issue have been fixed, so time to close this meta.

Work on improving documentation is ongoing. Anyone wanting to focus on this are can join Drupal slack #documentation.

Thanks

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)

Automatically closed - issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.