Onward and UpwardKeith Ward, Editor in Chief, Visual Studio Magazine
Blog archive
Microsoft Updates App Performance, Overloaded Methods Information
Microsoft is making some changes to its .NET Framework documentation in the MSDN Library, and they look like changes for the better.
The changes were discussed by Brandon Bray on an entry on the .NET Framework blog. In response to developer feedback, Bray said that Microsoft has added a lot of data about the performance of .NET apps. "As a result, we've reworked the existing performance and reliability topic to include more performance guidance as well as links to performance analysis tools and technology-specific performance content," Bray wrote.
This will undoubtedly be helpful to the new generation of mobile developers, to whom app performance is a crucial factor.
The other change has to do with how Microsoft describes methods with overloads. Apparently, developers were frustrated at how many clicks it took to find out what each overload associated with a method does. Microsoft is starting to streamline the process, providing more information on the initial overload list page.
But, since Microsoft doesn't yet have the ability in its current system to handle the revised information, it's including it further down on the overload page, in the Remarks section. The new information includes "complete method syntax, parameter and return value descriptions, a list of exceptions, a table to help choose an overload, extended discussion of using the method, and at least one example for each overload," Bray says. He gives an example of the new style from the String.Format overload page.
Not everyone loves the changes, however. Several comments below the blog complain that it's easier to click links to overload information rather than scroll down. In other words, it's impossible to make everyone happy.
Posted by Keith Ward on 02/21/2013