User:Matt.forestpath/Programming-language outline

The programming-language outline is an attempt to create a generic outline that can be used to organize any programming-language article (modified as needed to fit the particular language). The term "outline" refers to the name, grouping, and order of sections in the article, from which the table of contents is generated.

Philosophy

One of the highest priorities for every Wikipedia article is that they be as accessible as possible to people who are not already familiar with the subject (in this case, non-programmers). Ideally, the content of the article as a whole, and of each section in the article, should progress from simple to advanced, from fundamental to in-depth (preferrably linking to sister articles for in-depth details).

If the table of contents is organized in a clear and logical way, the articles should be equally useful to experts and non-experts alike.

Goals

Improve the consistency and intuitiveness of the table of contents for different programming-language articles.
Reduce the difficulty of using and working on multiple programming-language articles by providing a common frame of reference for their organization.

Usage

An earlier version of the programming-language outline was applied to the following articles:

Guidelines

If section A is a better starting point than section B for understanding the language, favor placing section A before section B.

Question marks

Theory vs Practice: Is it better to gear an article towards learning the theory and history of the language, or to gear it towards learning the hands-on usage of the language? Which approach is better suited for a non-programmer who's getting their first exposure to the language?
History vs philosophy: Which is a better starting point for understanding the language?

Current outline (tentative)

Top level

History             [How different aspects of the language came to be like they are]
Philosophy          [What the language is in theory]
Criticism           [Problems with different aspects of the language]
Usage               [How the language is used in practice]
Syntax              [What it is in detail]
Resources           [What options exist to help you use the language (tools, libraries)]
Availability        [How available are these options (platforms, licenses)]
Related languages   [Similar in nature to "See also"]
See also
References
Notes
External links

Rationale

History, philosophy, and criticism offer background info and establish a context for learning the language
Usage, syntax, resources, and availability offer help with learning the language
Related languages, see also, references, notes, and external links identify where to find additional info

Full outline

History
Philosophy
Criticism
Usage
Syntax
    Sample code
        Hello world
        <sample name>
    Data structures
    Regular expressions
    Operators
    Control structures
    Functions
    Objects
    Exceptions
    Input/Output
    Memory management
    Whitespace
    Comments
Resources
    Compilers
    Libraries
Availability
    Supported platforms
    License
Related languages
See also
References
Notes
External links
    <Sponsor site>
    Language version
    Reference Material
    Authoring Guides
    Tutorials
    Security
    Books
    Journals
    Support
        Wikis
        Forums
        User groups
        Newsgroups
        IRC
        Mailing lists
    Resources
        Compilers
        Libraries
        Code repositories
    Non-English resources
    Standards
    Criticism
    History