Re: [PHP-DOC] Configure options in the docs... From: Ron Chmara (ron <email protected>)
Date: 09/11/00

Lars Torben Wilson wrote:
> Today I ran into a note in the errata which requested a complete
> listing in the manual of all PHP configuration options. I found that
> there was a list (in the Unix install page), but that it wasn't
> complete, and didn't mention any differences between PHP 3
> configuration and PHP 4 configuration.

This is great! I had volunteered to do this manually, I'm glad you
didn't notice that. Programatically generating this list is much more
sensible.

> this simply gets us a complete, current list from which to start. One
> reason that it wouldn't be worth trying to generate this list
> programmatically all the time is that there are several points at
> which human additions would be useful

As soon as users see this, without explanations, they may increase the
support load asking if they should use "such and such that sounds like
another thing they might want to do"... I think text descriptions are
essential, along with version information.

>--for instance, to keep people
> from freaking out when they see that --with-ftp doesn't work in PHP 4
> (it's become --enable-ftp, btw).

There's more than one or two of these. :-(

> Another thing I found was that including this list in the installation
> page itself makes the page ridiculously long, so I split it out into a
> different sect1.

We should consider moving the specific text/options already listed
listed *off* of the orginal page, and instead give pertinant examples
of usual syntax. Right now that page tends to indicate that "here's the
options available", rather than "here's some examples of the syntax,
go this other page for a full listing of the options available".

> Since putting these changes together involves some largish changes to
> pages someone else originally wrote, I'm looking for comments before I
> commit. If I don't get any, I'll commit in a few hours anyway, and
> roll it back tomorrow if it's a huge problem.

Another suggestion: Put this after the Unix page, not after the Windows
page.(?!?)

Suggestion you'll probably *hate*, because it would involve undoing some
of your work (I'd be willing to do it, if you'd rather not):
Group this first by PHP version (maybe one page per set), then by the kind
of function. If I wanted to get the Graphics stuff, Postgres, and Oracle
(but no mysql), adding ftp, PDF, mail stuff, and LDAP, I'd be scrolling all over
this page trying to find stuff in "with" and "without" and guessing at
the keywords I'd have to use: tiff, ttf, t1lib, png, jpeg,
freetype-4bit-antialias-hack, zlib (all this for graphics).

And, on a completely outlandish "woudn't it be nice if" note, a form
based page where people could checkmark boxes to _build_ their configuration
strings would be, well, wonderful. :-) On Another Day.

-Bop 

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