Documentation issues with new & old versions of Xojo

First, if you’re using any version prior to 2019r2, you will need to make sure to set the preference in the Xojo IDE to use the built-in documentation and not go online for the latest, because the latest documentation will most likely steer you wrong.

Second, if like me, your habit has been never to use the built-in help but rather to switch over to a web browser and use documentation.xojo.com, well, you’ll need to unlearn that habit and force yourself to use only the built-in help.

Essentially, there is no way to get accurate documentation for previous versions of Xojo other than using the built-in help.

I’m not currently using 2019r2, because I have work to do, but if you are using it, beware that there are still inconsistencies in the web-based docs. E.g., the docs for ListBox.HeaderPressed say “If you return True, the column is not sorted and it does not update the SortedColumn property,” but if you try to look up the docs for “SortedColumn” property, you’ll find it doesn’t exist, because it’s been renamed to SortingColumn (because that was obviously a very important change to make). (This also serves as an example of how if you’re using versions <2019r2, and you forget that you should only use the built-in help and instead accidentally use the web-based docs, you may spend the day in Errortown, i.e., the SortingColumn property doesn’t exist in previous versions.)

That been true since the wiki went live
Its always been focused on the latest version

The pages are there, you just have to know their name and search for them by their old name, you cant easily find them by browsing an old 2019r1.1 edition of the online docs and following a link from ListBox unless you go via the convoluted “Permanent Link” link in the bottom left corner.

Totally agree though, not ideal, fortunately (for me at least) I’ve always use the inbuilt LR as I can’t handle the wait time of the docs showing a page request.

[quote=457694:@Norman Palardy]That been true since the wiki went live
Its always been focused on the latest version[/quote]
I am aware of that, but it’s never been much of an issue before since typically the only changes from older versions to the newest one have been the addition of entirely new items. What’s different this time is the vast number of changes to the methods/events/properties of already existing things.

I still use an old version of Dash, which for me, has never been beaten for easy of use, keeping any version of the help file for the version being of Xojo used at the time, up to 19r1.1 at the moment.

I use Dash all the time for everything except Xojo, so that might be a good alternative (for me). Is there a way to keep Dash from automatically updating only the Xojo docset? (I don’t want to disable the automatic updating for all my other docsets. Although I guess I could.)

most definitely

Hi Walter,

I am using v2.2.6 of Dash, I use the preference page ‘Docsets’ and just tick the version I want to use in the application, therefore you can ignore any or all newer version when searching.

Ah, well, unfortunately I’m using v4 of Dash and there is no option to do that.

mmm, thats a bit silly of him, I remember not updating the version I have because he made some change that I really found hard work so never bother to look again.

In Dash v4, under Preferences/Downloads, select the version you want to install from the drop-down arrow beside the Download/Uninstall button.

Nice. Thanks!