dash--Programmer's Good helper: API document Browser + code snippet management tool

As a dead coder, the most common action of the day is to look at the various API documents, you must have also opened n Windows (HTML, PDF, CHM), constantly switch between the editor and the document feeling it? How to say that, in fact, I really hate this boring action, then how to improve efficiency, less work? Here is to introduce a very good Mac gadget: Dash, compared to the English name, I like to call it "Jingle Cat", Hey.

Point me directly to AppStore introduction page

Feature Introduction

The official uses a single sentence to summarize its purpose: Dash is an API document browser (API documentation Browser), and a snippet management tool (Code Snippet Manager). You're right, it's only these two features, but it's really the most important feature for programmers (at least for me), they've used a lot of similar tools before, and it's no exaggeration to say that Dash is the best of them all!

Powerful API document browsing, search function

Presumably this is the most common use of the bar, every day to review, search for so many API details, there is no good tool, relying on their own hands how to cope with it? Window constantly che cut away, very annoying ah! The dash incorporates a single window, which solves the problem very well. Look at the following:

is Dash's API browser main interface: The left sidebar is a variety of programming languages and frameworks (depending on how many collections of documents you have installed) navigation outline, click on a node, the right content area is the document details, very intuitive. You can also find relevant API documents in the search box at the top left by typing in keywords, very similar to the way full-text search is implemented, and Dash responds very quickly! The key is to be able to query different languages, frame content at the same time, it is too convenient. See here you may have to ask, this and we usually switch to a particular document window (such as a PDF or a CHM file), and then CTRL + F to find out what is the difference, not superfluous? You're wrong, dash. You can display and hide the document window by using the shortcut key, which provides a configuration interface for the user to set up (I'm more accustomed to alt+space, because other software rarely uses this key combination):

Dash comes with a rich API documentation covering a variety of mainstream programming languages and frameworks, all of which are scary:

ActionScript, Android, C + +, cappuccino, cocos2d, Cocos3d, Corona, CSS, Django, Groovy, HTML, Java, JavaFX, JavaScript, Jqu ery, kobold2d, Lua, MySQL, node. js, Mans Pages, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Scala, Sparrow, SQLite, Unity, W Ordpress, XSLT, XUL

and its document library in the Docset format, advanced users based on the site-provided tutorials, it is easy to add other extensions of the document, in fact, Dash in the initial release, only a few document browsing support, as if only Java, HTML, CSS, these are later through the user's continuous contribution, As well as the author's timely feedback (the Rails API is that I contacted the author via email, the request was added, the author is very nice), and gradually expanded to have such a wide range of language, framework support. To add an API document, open the Software Configuration screen, switch to the Docset tab to see all the built-in document lists, download it yourself (if you made your own Docset, double-click to import dash):

Awesome, easy-to-use code snippets management features

I'm done with the Dash's document query feature, here's another surprise: code snippet management. Speaking of this, the previous version actually has a very bad place, that is, if you do not carefully pondering, or to see the official Help document, the user is very difficult to know how to use this feature, the Novice guide did not do well, but the latest version has improved the problem, The navigation sidebar in the main interface explicitly gives the classification hints, and creating or modifying code snippets is a lot easier. Consider the following example:

With Dash's Code snippet management feature, we can save your daily usage frequently (that is, you often need to copy and paste), and then set a unique abbreviation for it, so that you can hand over and over again the tedious work of typing on the keyboard, and then give it to dash to help you get it done. Like the example above, is the code snippet of the AJAX request in ExtJS, even copy & paste, long time will be very annoying, I set an abbreviation (AJAX), in the future when the need to write this code, only need to tap the letters, It will magically appear at the cursor position! It's amazing, isn't it? Hey, in fact, this extension abbreviation function, there are many software can do, such as TextExpander (this I also bought, half-price 14 DAO, but now has limbo, more regret), but on the user experience and various details, such as interface UI, especially the extension placeholder processing, There is no one that can compare to the dash (Dash is the best!). Let's take a look at the code snippet:

The abbreviation extension of Dash is very powerful, for example, in the case of saving snippets, you can use double underline to mark the placeholder, you can switch between the placeholders when the extension is executed, enter the actual value as needed, and the last enter to paste the fragment where the cursor is located. In addition to the placeholder, it also supports the following variable symbols:

• @clipboard automatically insert content from the current clipboard
• @cursor code snippet is pasted, the cursor is automatically positioned here
• @date automatically insert the current date
• @time automatically insert the current time

Introduction to Here, you crossing, you should have fallen in love with the dash? Every hard-pressed programmer, should have such a lovely and thoughtful Doraemon cat, you say is not? In fact, the individual is not very fond of its icon, it is a bit too weird, hey ...

Finally, Dash in the Mac App store for free download, but the author contains an IAP (in-app purchase) plug-in, the author is very humorous, see the introduction is said the Dash's twin partners pinky more naughty, will occasionally jump out to disturb you, embarrassed ... Anyway, I've been running all night, and I haven't seen this legendary cat yet. In fact, this is only to provide you with the opportunity to sponsor the author, after all, such a good software, if the economic conditions allow, support a bit is understandable, with the software developers, the bitterness of which you and I know.

dash--Programmer's Good helper: API document Browser + code snippet management tool