X-Cart: shopping cart software

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-   -   Developer Docs (https://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=76283)

mcupka 05-29-2018 09:08 AM

Developer Docs
 
Any word if we're going to be getting any more or updated developer documentation shortly? Seems like pretty much the basics -- half of these tutorials are for versions that are outdated and still use Smarty code. No problem converting that into Twig, but I'm hoping you release some new and updated docs based on all the questions that have been asked here. The simplest, most minute thing appears to be a long process that is also confusing.

Any input from community members is appreciated. Thanks!

cflsystems 05-29-2018 09:42 AM

Re: Developer Docs
 
With XC the lack of documentation is something we just have to live with. The way I see it:

1. Get a good EDI or whatever you feel comfortable with to edit files. Simple text editor or even one that can highlight code formatting is not going to work good for something like this.
2. You may want to untar the XC installation pack locally so you can open the whole directory in the editor for reference.
3. Use Symfony documentation.
4. Use Doctrine documentation.
5. Use Vue.js documentation.
6. Use XC code to learn how something is built - this is your best friend. You don't have to follow the XC code in your module but it will give you an idea of what's there and how to use it with the platform.

The ISE should help you with finding functions, properties, methods, etc within the different classes and inheritance.

What's there right now for documentation is more of an examples of simple features and/or modifications rather than real documentation.

XC is a huge platform with thousands of files. I don't really see them writing good documentation ever considering the core changes so often. As said by QT some time ago - they will try to have major release once per year. By the time they finish documenting something it may already change with next major release...

mcupka 05-29-2018 09:53 AM

Re: Developer Docs
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by cflsystems
With XC the lack of documentation is something we just have to live with. The way I see it:

1. Get a good EDI or whatever you feel comfortable with to edit files. Simple text editor or even one that can highlight code formatting is not going to work good for something like this.
2. You may want to untar the XC installation pack locally so you can open the whole directory in the editor for reference.
3. Use Symfony documentation.
4. Use Doctrine documentation.
5. Use Vue.js documentation.
6. Use XC code to learn how something is built - this is your best friend. You don't have to follow the XC code in your module but it will give you an idea of what's there and how to use it with the platform.

The ISE should help you with finding functions, properties, methods, etc within the different classes and inheritance.

What's there right now for documentation is more of an examples of simple features and/or modifications rather than real documentation.

XC is a huge platform with thousands of files. I don't really see them writing good documentation ever considering the core changes so often. As said by QT some time ago - they will try to have major release once per year. By the time they finish documenting something it may already change with next major release...

Thanks for your knowledgeable reply. Certainly understandable.

vasilis 12-10-2018 12:09 PM

Re: Developer Docs
 
The developer's docs do not really constitute a developer's guide, like in other eshop platforms, where there are comprehensive developer's guides. X-Cart 5 developer's docs are rather fragments that give a very small picture of the internals of XCart.

For example, some important chapters that should not be missing, can be:
1. A description of the X-Cart architecture, listing it's layers, functional components (eg, cart, shipping, payments, products, etc) with any logic flow diagrams that depict the main logic routes regarding their function, so the main logic in each component can be described and understood. In these diagrams, also, the various patterns could be depicted (eg the Decorator patterns on which xcart 5 is mainly based, regarding it's module development).
This, could be the starting point from which more extensive description of each component in depth could be written, referring also to important code snippets, regarding main functions in each component.

2. A description of the database (tables, fields, primary keys, index keys, etc). The tables, I guess, could be separated in groups related to the function of each of the components referred in the previous paragraph.
The main associations between the database tables should also be described (table relations with foreign fields referred).
(I understand that in xcart 5, we don't deal with relational database tables in the code, but rather with objects created from mapping the table structure to an object structure, but I just use relational database terminology in order to be more comprehensible).

Surely, there are many more issues that could be discussed further.

As a general notice, from what I have read through a few developer's docs articles, there are various errors in the text, like words missing, broken links, orthographic errors, making it seem like draft text that has not been run through a second time, in order to correct any errors.

I hope I am wrong, but I don't see any willingness from Qualiteam to ever write a comprehensive developer's manual/guide.
I would guess, just by common sense, that the company must have a well formulated developer's guide, or at least organized and comprehensive notes for it's programmer team.
How else could a new programmer in the team be trained in a reasonable amount of time, in order to be able to code fast and properly?


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