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Online Documentation Search Functionality Deficiency

Discussion in 'Documentation' started by Sycobob, Jan 6, 2017.

  1. Sycobob

    Sycobob

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2013
    Posts:
    78
    This has been an issue for years at this point and it's something I run into constantly.

    Searching the scripting API online does not properly match partial names. In particular, searching for words in the middle of or at the end of a method name will not return all results.

    Examples using AssetModificationProcessor
    • Searching for Asset or AssetModification will return AssetModificationProcessor
    • Searching for Modification will NOT return AssetModificationProcessor
    • Searching for Processor will NOT return AssetModificationProcessor

    This makes it difficult to search for certain types of API. If I want to find all Attributes exposed in the API, I can't simply search for Attribute and expect to get any API with Attribute in the name (HeaderAttribute doesn't show up, for example). As a side note, it's also quite inconsistent whether attributes names actually end in the word Attribute as is fairly standard in C#. About half of them do.

    This is an extremely longstanding issue with no real response from Unity. This has been brought up through both the feedback mechanism and through bug reports yet there seems to be no intention to address a simple but problematic issue.

    May 2015 Feedback: https://feedback.unity3d.com/suggestions/improve-search-functionality-in-online-documentation
    September 2015 Bug - 716311
    July 2016 Bug - 806820

    Is there a realistic chance of this being addressed in the near future?
     
  2. Graham-Dunnett

    Graham-Dunnett

    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2009
    Posts:
    4,287
    Hi Sycobob... that's valid points to raise. And raised some years ago. I'll raise this to them again for you. Can't promise what will actually happen. :-(
     
  3. Baste

    Baste

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2013
    Posts:
    6,294
    Maybe you should raise the point that you're apparently desperately short on web developers?
     
  4. Sycobob

    Sycobob

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2013
    Posts:
    78
    Thanks for the nudge Graham-Dunnett.

    Baste, probably not a super productive comment.
     
    Baste likes this.