A disturbing conversation about documentation

For a dozen years I closely followed the 3D computer graphics market, supporting 3D file formats in my multi-format conversion software. These were key products from large companies like SGI, Autodesk, even Microsoft Softimage, big flight-sim companies, etc. I spent a great deal of time chasing down their documentation. It often didn't exist. Much of the time, there was an out-of-date document, or an unchecked document. In typical programmer style, the "documentation" consisted of poorly commented, non-portable code. When it came time for Autodesk to bow to pressure to support tools for programming that could massage its DWG drawing file format, they bought out a much smaller company who'd reverse-engineered the format without Autodesk's cooperation, and often in the face of outright public antagonism. Documentation is the first component tossed by the wayside when deadlines are approaching too quickly. - John