documentation must available offline and in the command line

A common annoyance I experience when interacting with a new programming language is online-only documentation.

Most [programming] languages these days do not come with offline documentation by default, which really annoys me since it’s benefits are plenty and cons are virtually none.

Documentation should always be available offline and in command line form, online copies could exist. But the default must be offline, for the following reasons:

  1. It’s always available
  2. It’s easier to reach
  3. It’s fast
  4. Format your docs however you like
  5. Powerful filters via unix pipes

Take for example php, php has no offline documentation. AFAIK it does not have it as a command line utility or as a gui, which is really disappointing. You have to get a copy of their website offline and view it via your browser, which to be frank is too much effort.

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