If It’s Not Documented, It’s Not Done

I was quite interested in a few of the new features listed for WordPress 2.1, since they look like they could be quite useful to build into the plugin I have to use EditLive! as the editor for posts. In particular

• Image and thumbnail API allows for richer media plugins

sounds very interesting, since I’ve not gotten around to doing anything much with images and EditLive! has a lot of support for media that is currently going to waste. Sadly, browsing through the WordPress documentation lists nothing about how to actually go about using these wonderful new APIs. In fact, it doesn’t mention them at all – it seems the documentation is still for the 2.0 release.

I’m sure there’s someone out there that knows where to start looking for these things, and I’m sure I could work it out if I invested enough time, but why should I? Why should I waste my time helping to build plugins for WordPress if the developers, who are running a business based on the product, can’t be bothered even writing down some brief details about what the new APIs allow, let alone how to use them.

I hate writing documentation as much as the next developer, but we need to start thinking about our users a little instead of just expecting them to waste their time working it out. In the end it means more users and happier users of our products and thus more money for the developers, whether it be directly via sales or indirectly via advertising, partnerships or whatever way the business’ bills are paid.