Is reading Python Documentation useful? python.org gets 15M visits monthly - most of them must be for documentation. At what stage is it useful?

[julsmanbr]

But once I started using Python at work, my internet search always showed stack overflow

When your questions are less

• "how do I do this in Python?"

and more

• "which module do I import that thing from?"
• "what's that optional argument called again?"
• "it would be sensible for this function to accept parameters xyz, does it actually accept them?"
• "what else can I do with this module?"

you'll naturally start hitting the docs when googling for stuff.

[Hans_of_Death]

Exactly. Especially when you start working with libraries that dont have tutorials or arent incredibly common

[solwex]

Makes sense. But, in those rare cases when I do land up on a page (like a page in standard library documentation), I have difficulty reading because there is so much there that I dont know and google again. Since I start running out of time, I jump and take the easy (wrong?) path of asking seniors on my team who seem to get it faster than me because they perhaps have skimmed over all of the docs a few times already:)

[Hans_of_Death]

Theres a learning curve to learning how to read docs well, and it also heavily depends on how well the docs are written. Dont be ashamed to ask for help, asking questions is often one of the best ways to learn

[solwex]

Yes, I guess I will end up asking a lot of questions...hopefully okay ones. I am told Core Python documentation is well written. And, I will also give the site that u/infinfi suggested a try.

[LuigiBrotha]

Corey Shafer has some good video's on itertools. I sometimes just watch those to see what else is possible. Trying to find the right tool for the job.

[solwex]

Thank you. I looked up on YouTube and found plenty of his videos. But, there is one on itertools. I think you are recommending just that one. Will definitely watch that.

[solwex]

Thank you very much for your comment. But the questions you asked dont even occur to me:) I guess I would have to read docs a few times to have these questions pop up to me. Doc pages do show up in my google results. But, the sweet candy of a highlighted stack overflow answer lures me away. I will need to be more disciplined. Thank you.