Got API reference site a great utility!
Good Technologists look things up so they can use their brains for the hard work. Got API? is there to help.
Every now and then I meet a technologist that can rattle off detailed arcane minutae relating to obscure JavaScript functions or obscure foundation classes in Java. I usually don’t think much of it. Most of the guys I’ve worked with that I would consider “top 10%ers” don’t memorize framework functions, they look them up when they need them.
Sure, while you are learning how to use them, you end up memorizing bunches of them. But after you’ve mastered them, you just figure out where to go to find the details when you need them and remember the higher level utility they provide so you know when you will need them. The problem with using API references all the time, at least for Web Application development, is you wind up using 4 or 5 different references and they all have their own cross references so it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole and get distracted from solving the problem that lead you into the reference to begin with. Books that collect these are great, but usually bit parts are out of date by the time they come off the press. GotAPI is great utility because it provides an easy “help interface” presentation of just about any Web Technologiy API reference all in one easy to use interface. And since I’m obviously in a “help” style inteface, I’m hoping that provides the gentle reminder to get back to the task at hand once I’ve found what I don’t need to waste brain cells remembering.
So far, I love it!
