How to Read the Documentation for Javascript, VueJS, and VuetifyJS
120021. The Importance of Reading Documentation
Programmers need to be able to read documentation because it is the primary way to obtain important information about programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and tools.
Documentation includes official documentation and tutorial documentation. Official documentation is the most accurate and up-to-date resource, typically created by the developers of the technology or software, who are the most knowledgeable about it. Therefore, the content is comprehensive and usually reflects the latest information.
However, some official documentation can be very difficult to understand, so tutorial documentation is also needed to help programmers learn the basics first. For example, the Runoob tutorial is a good resource; its VueJS tutorial is easier for beginners to comprehend. But as programming complexity increases, consulting official documentation becomes essential.
Reading documentation is a necessary skill for programmers. Learning to read documentation can make your programming journey much more efficient.
2. Principle 1: Quick Browsing to Get Familiar
When learning something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when reading documentation, which can often lead to confusion. At this point, don’t give up just because you encounter unfamiliar terms or concepts; instead, get familiar with the documentation first.
Open the homepage of the documentation website, pay attention to the left sidebar, scroll up and down, and see what titles are available. Some you may recognize, but many will be new. Click on the titles one by one, quickly browse the content, and see what is there; don’t worry about the details at this stage.
3. Principle 2: Establish an Overall Impression and Categorize Content
Any learning should be done in layers, starting with the framework, moving from the framework to details, learning from broad to specific, and from high-level to low-level concepts. Don’t get bogged down in details right from the start.
How do you find the framework of the documentation? The left sidebar of the documentation website's homepage represents the knowledge framework of the documentation. The content in the left sidebar is categorized, with titles under each category.
First, look at how the documentation content is divided into categories; this is the first level of the framework. Then, check what titles are included in each category; this is the second level of the framework.
Once you understand the framework, you will have an overall impression. Click on the titles in the left sidebar; these are all important concepts. Read through them one by one, and after a few rounds, you will become familiar with these concepts.
After reading the overall content, focus on the concepts you want to clarify, read more, and try until you understand.
4. Principle 3: Read Documentation While Practicing
A very important learning method in programming is hands-on practice. Don’t think that just reading the documentation means you’ve learned it; that’s not possible. You must try it out. The Runoob tutorial provides online examples where you can add and modify code, then click "Run" to see the results, making hands-on practice convenient.
After trying the above, you can copy the code into Vscode to run it for deeper experimentation. If the copied code runs normally, continue to modify and test it to deepen your understanding of the concepts. If errors occur, learn to use tools to debug the code, further enhancing your programming skills.
5. Principle 4: Don’t Get Stuck on Unfamiliar Terms
When you encounter unfamiliar terms, don’t be confused, especially with English words; don’t be afraid of them. They often represent fixed usages, such as function. Once you get used to them, they won’t be difficult; you can just copy and use them directly.
Start from the simplest areas, advancing from the known to the unknown. Don’t dismiss all your known knowledge just because you don’t understand a little bit; accumulate knowledge bit by bit.
You can also look up information or seek resources to ask questions, ensuring you don’t get stuck in one place for too long and actively move forward.