Application Notes, (Algorithms-HOWTO draft 0, take 2)

[Stein Gjoen <sgjoen@mail.nyx.net>]

"Harvey J. Stein" wrote:
[...]
> It also lies out of the realm of documentation and as such is somewhat
> more controversial.  For example, different people have different
> beliefs as to which hash table technique is better to use in a given
> situation, as well as whether hash tables or balanced trees are
> preferable.  There are also lots of sticky little points regarding the
> implementation of these things which can have a major impact on how
> well they actually perform.

Isn't this a general problem in most fields? Generaliations tend to
collapse when you look hard enough at the problem. I have heard
teaching Physics described as "telling ever decreasing lies" which
sums it up in the typically dry wit style of physicists.

> The only advantage I can think of in having a is having a free version
> of such a textbook, but there already are free ones available, as in
> http://ciips.ee.uwa.edu.au/~morris/Year2/PLDS210/ds_ToC.html,
> http://hissa.nist.gov/dads/, http://www.epaperpress.com/s_man.html,
> and http://www.mich.com/~serenget/source/, to point out a few I found
> through google & yahoo.

I have proposed starting an auxiliary docs archive, seems these
would fit in. Or are there any GNU free docs projects we could link
to? If we are going to make LDP CD iso images we might as well
include as much as possible within the 650 MB limit.

We already have plenty of HOWTOs which are more of the reference
material type, other are more like application notes. In fact when
new products, technologies, items or such are introduced there are
usually also some application notes released that descibes not
only proper use but also why this item is a better choice.

Linux has no application notes as such, perhaps there should be?
One possible candidate is the "AI-Alife-HOWTO" which I have used
as such, so an "Algorithm HOWTO" might fulfill a similar role.
Application notes would fulfill the needs of those looking for
solutions, in a way better than the index we have. If someone
wanted to set up, say, a news server, a "News Aplication Note"
would give an overview of why News and LInux works well together,
a list of relevant HOWTOs, FAQs and more, and help people get
started.

We have to keep the readers in mind, they are a rather diverse
group. Some browse through the HOWTOs, others have specific
problems they wish to solve. Others want to broaden their skills.

Regards,
   Stein Gjoen


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