Jonathon -- Improov wrote:
Hi Eric,
To be honest, those docs are not exactly full-blown references; they're
overviews.
The way I do it is I dig for the "documentation" in the Java codes
(OFBiz framework). You can shoot me a quick question about any Minilang
or Widget XML features/functions, and I'll dig a few minutes into codes
to give you a quick answer.
I'd like to echo Jonathon on this. I'll share the methodology I used to learn
OFBiz, which was very quick.
Since this is an open source project, you can read the code as a direct,
detailed reference and for finding out how things work. This is critically
important as it provides a framework from which a learning program can be devised:
1. First get an overview of how things work in OFBiz, a connecting-the-dots
walkthrough.
2. Start developing what you need right away.
a. Identify something that already exists in the system that is similar to
what you need to do. Study it and mimic what it does.
b. Use the source code both as a reference and a guide to flesh out the
details and make customizations.
3. If you run into difficulties, search the online docs, ask questions to the
community, your OFBiz mentor, a support rep, etc.
I have the great fortune to work with Si Chen directly, so step #3 has a very
quick turnaround time.
Also, the code is very readable, so don't be afraid of it! It's also yours to
play with, so you can insert debug statements to track what's going on, break it
intentionally, etc. You get to reverse engineer OFBiz and the code is in your
hands.
Debugging is another matter entirely, and for that we have a cookbook,
http://opensourcestrategies.com/ofbiz/ofbiz_debugging.txt
- Leon
