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Currently writing about GWT, Ajax, Leopard, iPhone Development, and Java.
Announcing iDoc: Javadoc for iPhone
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Got an iPhone? View iDoc demo of the OpenJDK Javadoc
Want to make iPhone Javadoc? Download the iDoc source code
Want to make iPhone Javadoc? Download the iDoc source code
Every Java developer loves Javadoc. Every software developer* loves the iPhone. iDoc brings these two worlds together and generates iPhone-friendly Javadoc for your source code. Now you can browse API documentation when you want it, where you want it - all in the palm of your hand.
The cynical set might question the need for iDoc. After all, isn't Javadoc only useful while programming? And doesn't all programming happen at an eight-core workstation with a high-speed Internet connection and two 30" monitors? Surely Javadoc is best viewed when tethered to a desk.
Sadly, that view (shared by 100% of my coworkers) is mistaken, as evidenced by the following...
Top 10 Uses for iPhone Javadoc
10. Settle an API argument at the Google cafe
9. Give the observer in your pair programming team something to do
8. Study open source on the subway
7. Justify the iPhone's business use to the your IT department
6. Sound smart during an interview (requires hidden iPhone & discreet fingers)
5. Impress Blackberry users
4. View Tomcat docs while flying an F-14 Tomcat (not recommended)
3. Cheat on the Sun Java Certification test
2. Write off your iPhone in next year's taxes
1. You're writing an article about iPhone Web Development and need to create an iPhone application that appeals to developerWorks' readers
That last one happens to be reason for writing iDoc. My article, "Develop iPhone Web Applications with Eclipse", describes the creation of iDoc and covers best practices for iPhone web development. While designing the iDoc user interface, I use two slick open source tools: Aptana's iPhone Development plug-in and Joe Hewitt's iUi framework. If you're looking to create an iPhone-specific web site, I highly recommend you check them out. The article was published today on IBM developerWorks and can be found in the Open Source and Java Technology zones.
I generated iPhone-specific Java 7 Javadoc using OpenJDK and posted it online as the iDoc demo. If my Top 10 list won you over and you want to generate Javadoc for your own code base, download the v0.1 iDoc source code. I'd love to hear any feedback on the project or article. Right now the generator is very simple: it doesn't resolve links within comments or display full signatures for Java 5 generics. (So maybe it won't help you cheat on a Sun Java Certification test after all...)
* every software developer who doesn't work for Microsoft or Nokia
