Feedback: Link to source from API docs

[LindaLawton]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
It would be nice if documentation pages like microsoft.aspnetcore.authentication.authenticationservice.challengeasync linked to their respscitve GitHub source pages for example AuthenticationService.cs or at the very least link to the class or the project it self.

Describe the solution you'd like
I find the documentation pages lacking in what these methods actually do so find myself often checking the source code in order to understand whats going on. Having to search for the the GitHub project can be time consuming. It would be nice to have a link on the page.

Describe alternatives you've considered

1. Just a link to the project
2. a link to the class itself.
3. A link to the method in question.

Additional context

Examples on these pages would be really nice rather than just a blank description of the method. I realize that i am asking for a lot.

[Powerhelmsman]

@LindaLawton Thanks for your suggestion. I've created a internal work item to track your request. I will let you know when we have solution on it.

[Powerhelmsman]

log-suggestion @dend

[supernova-eng]

🚀 ATTENTION: Internal request logged.

[mairaw]

@dend should we change the title of this issue to say Link to source from API docs or something like that?

[dend]

@mairaw yes, I updated the title, thanks for the heads-up!

[dend]

Hi folks, we've assessed this feature request and have determined that we will not be able to address it at this time.

Our documentation is generated entirely from binaries (shipped in DLLs and NuGet packages), therefore there is no direct link to the source code of the product that we can re-use for the purposes of including it in our documentation. More-so, we span different versions, so while the source code is available for some, it is not for others, which will create an inconsistency in the experience.

We do have on our radar the task to implement changes that will make it easier for customers to see what NuGet package things are coming from (see #72).

[LindaLawton]

Thank you for your consideration.

[dasMulli]

@dend I'd very much like you to reconsider.

For the repos that stamp their binaries using SourceLink, generating a link to the source from a built product is possible. This is essentially what Visual Studio now does when debugging into NuGet or framework assemblies.

This would be a very great and useful feature and could work for any API docs for products using SourceLink.

I often use this for things like NumPy when I need to look up various implementations:

[dasMulli]

@ViktorHofer from what I unserstand, CoreFX now also has SourceLink via Arcade?

[ViktorHofer]

Sorry was on holiday. Correct, corefx has sourcelink enabled in all customer facing assemblies.

[mairaw]

@docs-product @mimig1 please look at the latest comments.

[mimig1]

@mairaw - Should this go to @mimisasouvanh?

[mairaw]

Apologies @mimig1 for tagging the wrong Mimi.

@BillWagner @gewarren This is related to the questions we got during our meeting today. I think we should resume this conversation again.

[gewarren]

Mimi logged an internal issue for this in June.