Documentation Coordination

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 12:46

Hello Oliver!
Hello to the active community!

I am currently finishing a web project with the help of phpWCMS. As a happy user I would like to give something back to the community and the project by writing some documentation. I am already working on a visual guide to the backend for a "normal user" and for an "administrator". I do this in German (since that's the language my customer speaks) and would be willing to translate it into English when I'm done.

But where should I post my work...?

I think it would be great to have an official download page with a grid that shows what documentation is already available. My suggestion is something like this:

This would help other community members to see what they can contribute (either a new documentation or a translation of an existing documentation). And it would help new users to find the documentation they need.

Tell me what you think - and maybe how we can organize the documentation process for this wonderful CMS.

@Oliver: If you don't have time or the nerves to administrate the documentation page, I would be willing to do this - I would suggest to have it situated either at http://www.phpwcms.de or at http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpwcms/

Greetings to all,
Alexander

andre · Post by **andre** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 14:28

last evening i tried to implement an online help function to phpwcms backend. like, clicking on the "label" of some form elements and a small window would go up and show the help for that element... but as i didn't find (after 5mins) where the form elements "labels" are written, i gave up... (i wanted to change the "label" text to "<a href=helpfile.html#topic...")

cheers
-andre
ps. i love those video tutorials on typo3

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 14:53

Hi andre,

sorry, I don't know what exactly you were looking for, but since I find the idea of an on-line help function interesting, I would like to support you. Can you tell me again, what exactly you were trying to find?

Also, have you seen that there's a very nice flash intro to phpWCMS? You can find it here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpwcms/

Greets,
Alexander

pSouper · Post by **pSouper** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 15:25

@alex very nice image. I like this a lot.

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 16:32

@pSouper: Thanks. Yes, I think this could give the phpWCMS project another boost since a lot of people will only install a script that is well documented.

andre · Post by **andre** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 17:42

hi alexander,

i wanted to generate a html file with all the help texts for the form inputs in the backend. the different topics are "seperated" with html anchors. so when we click on a label...
with labels i mean these:

we get a (small) window opened with the corresponding help text.

what i wanted to do:
eg. change the text "margin" to <a href="help.html#margin" target="_BLANK" etc...

-andre

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 18:07

@andre: Again: Great idea. I found something for you. Go to this file:

include > inc_lang > backend > en > lang.inc.php

It has all the "labels" in it. For example "margin" is found at line 412. Oliver has added comments to every block of "labels", like the one in line 406: "admin.pagelayout.tmpl.php" - that tells you what file you have to look out for. In this case go to:

include > inc_tmpl > admin.pagelayout.tmpl.php

In line 255 you find this code:

Code: Select all

<td align="right" class="chatlist"><?php echo $BL['be_admin_page_margin']  ?>:&nbsp;</td>

Simply change it to:

Code: Select all

<td align="right" class="chatlist"><?php echo("<a href=\"help.html#".$BL['be_admin_page_margin']."\" target=\"_BLANK\">".$BL['be_admin_page_margin']."</a>")   ?>:&nbsp;</td>

I tried it and it works. It's cool and automatically gives you the chance to have language sensitive help (i.e. it renders "help.html#Rand" in German).

I hope you find a way to automate this code changing though... try BBEdit or some other cool HTML Editor with a batch find function.

Have fun and let us know what you have achieved!

andre · Post by **andre** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 19:06

thanx alexander,

now i know what to do on weekend

cheers
-andre

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 20:34

Good luck and have fun.

I would also suggest you name the target instead of making it "_blank", thus the user can leave it open for faster loading when he clicks his way through all the labels. I am looking forward to this new feature of yours.

Pappnase · Post by **Pappnase** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 21:17

hello alex und co!*smile*

i like you idea also! and the image is nice! but i don't like the idea of an hack exept when oliver says that he will include it.

hope you don't understand me wrong! the idea is great! but i think i the future oliver will change a lot!

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Thu 29. Apr 2004, 21:27

Great that you like the ideas posted in this thread!

You're right: once you start modifying the original code you get stuck with the version you're at - you can't upgrade easily anymore.

But on the other hand: you might not need to once you have the site up the way you wanted it. So, maybe we should be diplomatic and add a disclaimer once andre posts his hack here saying: "Please do not install this if you want to be able to upgrade to future releases of phpWCMS." - this will save those not knowing better - and will give those who want to work on the code the chance to do so.

pSouper · Post by **pSouper** » Fri 30. Apr 2004, 09:57

I don't any mods will be added to phpwcms by OG, if the function is that desireable and the general feeling in the forum is that this really should be in the builds then OG is likely to write his own functions to answer the issues raised by that mod. example... {SITEMAP} it was a good solution to some peoples needs. I'm not sure if OG had it as a TODO or if so, brought this functionality forward in his schedual, but with RC3 he included a new {SITEMAP}. This is totally in line with the existing code, style and functionlity of phpwcms.

I guess all I would say is that everyone need phpwcms to do something it can't and in time it may well do but for now mod are the best way for us to 'bend' this script into the shapes we need. If this mod appeals to anyone else too then great, but upgradeing is an issues that we all accept when installing any mod.

long live the mod, the hack and the new RC's

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Fri 30. Apr 2004, 10:56

@pSouper: Well said.

Cheers, Alexander

Post by **Oliver Georgi** » Mon 3. May 2004, 12:31

Thanks community.

Here are my thoughts about that point:

I can setup a section on the project page where you can download/see documentation. But not on the "old" project site - I have prepared a new layout for the site - new logo, new color, more stylish

A docu admin will get access to the new site - and I will write a small script that can handle language/version things automaticly based on directory structure/filename.

If the new project site is working and v1.2 released by end of May I will begin to redesign the backend. It should get same color/logo as the project site. And forms will get more space and such thing. I will implement a rollover effect for label names too - maybe a small help icon. If you move mouse pointer over such label/icon a help layer will be opened like windows tooltips. I think that's better than opening a blank screen. The site structure list should always be visible in the backend by using a frame on the left site. Then it wouldn't be neccessary to jump between forms and lists anymore if you wish to edit mass content.

OK for now...

Regards
Oliver

alexander · Post by **alexander** » Mon 3. May 2004, 12:58

Thanks Oliver,

your ideas for the future sound very cool! As always I am looking forward to any new version.

Do you plan to launch your new website including the docu section together with v1.2 in the end of May? Please let us know so we can start collecting documentation early enough so you can already post some documentation when you relaunch the website.

Cheers,
Alexander