GMWiki:DLL Documentation

From GMWiki, the Gamemaker Wiki.

According to GMWiki's mission, we aim to document all aspects of Game Maker. Yes, all of them. Many DLL writers don't document their DLLs effectively. When they do, the documentation isn't consistant. What better place to have their DLLs documented, than at the GMWiki? Users of the DLLs can contribute their intimate knowledge of how the DLL performs, and how it can best be used. Being someone who regularly tinkers with KDE programming, I know how effective a good, consistant documentation base can be to a developer.

[edit] Starting to document a DLL

Keep it simple, stupid. DLLs introduce advanced things that GM cannot handle, such as sockets, or regular expressions. Lots of people don't know what they are, so explain it rather vaguely. You can always link to more authoritative definitions of the concept. Each DLL's introduction page should have an introduction and a function list. Don't forget to categorize these things so that others can find them. If the DLL does something like network functions, put it into the multiplayer category. Makes the box beep? See if it fits into multimedia or sound.

[edit] Documenting its functions

Each dll should get its own documentation category. Like for Gregex.dll, it has Category:Gregex.dll Documentation. Each of the functions should then be put into that category (Makes building function lists easier too). Be sure to categorize those functions too. If someone is looking around in the string function category, trying to make a regex library or something and they come across the gregex_* functions in that category, that could be very helpful.