I'm finding the ability to give cpan: and perldoc: links to be less than completely helpful. For instance, if I want to include a link to the List::Utils module, List::Utils goes to search results instead of directly to the module. I think making go directly to the module doc (with author, distribution, and .pm source links right at the top) like http://search.cpan.org/perldoc/List::Utils would be better.

For going to doc search results, perldoc: works, but if I want to go to a specific up to date perl man page, it's a little lacking, e.g. perldoc://perlcheat (not found) vs. http://search.cpan.org/perldoc/perlcheat.

I'm not completely happy with any choice to jump to a particular perl function. Compare substr vs. perldoc://substr vs. http://search.cpan.org/perldoc/perlfunc#substr (my problem with the last option is that it loads the whole perlfunc page).

I do have to say that looking through multiple old versions on perldoc.com is handy sometimes, but if you want to link to a specific version of doc, you can say e.g.http://search.cpan.org/~gsar/perl-5.6.0/pod/perldelta.pod

Maybe I'm just confusedly trying to use what are intended to be "go to search results" links as "show me the money" links. I personally would expect the latter to be more commonly wanted than the former, especially for module names.

Anyway, that's my question and I don't have a suggested answer for how it is best addressed.

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Re: cpan: module and perldoc: links
by jeffa (Bishop) on Nov 04, 2003 at 14:13 UTC

    The only problem i see with this is the inability to link to NAMESPACES. For example, if i want to link to the Config namespace, the current link method "works": Config, but your proposal does not: http://search.cpan.org/perldoc/Config.

    As far as Perl functions are concered, that's just a convenience. I strongly feel that everyone should have a console window open where they can simply type perldoc -f substr instead of putting a load on the PerlMonks server. UPDATE: my apologies ... i misread that you are talking about perldoc links. I really don't see anything wrong with how perldoc links ... not everyone is using the exact same version of Perl.

    I should also add that anytime i link to a CPAN module or Perl function, i only do so to point out that it exists. I don't add links so that users will click them, and read them verbatim from there. I would rather that everyone understood that they have their own perldoc they can use locally. (Unless they don't have that particular module installed, then the link acts as a way to download the distro.)

    jeffa

    L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)
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Re: cpan: module and perldoc: links (specs)
by tye (Sage) on Nov 04, 2003 at 19:32 UTC

    I'd love to see these sites release public documentation to parts of their interfaces so that we could program to those specifications and have some confort that mere whim of reorganization wouldn't leave us with broken links.

    cpan:// can't be made to go directly to a module since it has always done searches so we have links like permutations that would get a 404 if we tried to turn that into a direct link.

    It'd be nice if search.cpan.org supported a search somewhat like Google's "I feel lucky" where it'd go right to the module/distribution/author if you spelled it exactly right (but a mispelling would do a search rather than leave you at a 404). I personally don't think PM should add a method for direct links to CPAN modules until that happens.

                    - tye
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Re: cpan: module and perldoc: links
by PodMaster (Abbot) on Nov 05, 2003 at 01:12 UTC
    I think what you're really trying to say is that you want a [cpandoc://Acme::MJD] to take you to Acme::MJD ;)

    MJD says "you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!"
    I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6.x and 5.8.x -- I take requests (README).
    ** The third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

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Re: cpan: module and perldoc: links
by jdporter (Paladin) on Aug 05, 2009 at 21:33 UTC

    This has long been remedied, but I post here just in case some newbie stumbles across this thread and thinks the problem is unresolved.

    Perl core docs: perldoc.perl.org

    Specific doc: [doc://overload] ⇒ overload
    Search: [perldoc://intersection] ⇒ intersection

    CPAN: search.cpan.org

    Module doc: [mod://WWW::Mechanize] ⇒ WWW::Mechanize
    Distribution: [dist://Test-Harness] ⇒ Test-Harness
    Search: [cpan://xml] ⇒ xml

    Full reference: What shortcuts can I use for linking to other information?

    Between the mind which plans and the hands which build, there must be a mediator... and this mediator must be the heart.
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