Embedded Help - Revision history

Colin Marquardt: /* See also */

2007-07-03T22:14:50Z

Dsign: /* Ideas */

2006-06-21T22:57:48Z

Ideas

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:57, 21 June 2006
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	* The glossary could be section and subsections of the big manual, with its own menu item.		* The glossary could be section and subsections of the big manual, with its own menu item.
	* Context-sensitive help is one thing where I think they are spot-on. How hard would it be for us to provide "F1 Help"? If only to pop up a browser on a given html page and #anchor. (Bob Jamison in http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/16826)		* Context-sensitive help is one thing where I think they are spot-on. How hard would it be for us to provide "F1 Help"? If only to pop up a browser on a given html page and #anchor. (Bob Jamison in http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/16826)
	* dsign is already working on a SVG rendering help system. I'~~m actually not sure~~ it ~~is contect~~ sensitive, ~~but i have please dsign to make it compliant~~ to ~~docbook~~.		* dsign is already working on a SVG rendering help system. It' in an early stage, but it works. And yes, it can be made context sensitive, provided that a way to get the current Inkscape state (in terms of user interface) be implemented.

	== Help Systems on Different Operating Systems ==		== Help Systems on Different Operating Systems ==

Cedric: /* Ideas */

2006-06-21T20:34:25Z

Ideas

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:34, 21 June 2006
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	* The glossary could be section and subsections of the big manual, with its own menu item.		* The glossary could be section and subsections of the big manual, with its own menu item.
	* Context-sensitive help is one thing where I think they are spot-on. How hard would it be for us to provide "F1 Help"? If only to pop up a browser on a given html page and #anchor. (Bob Jamison in http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/16826)		* Context-sensitive help is one thing where I think they are spot-on. How hard would it be for us to provide "F1 Help"? If only to pop up a browser on a given html page and #anchor. (Bob Jamison in http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/16826)
			* dsign is already working on a SVG rendering help system. I'm actually not sure it is contect sensitive, but i have please dsign to make it compliant to docbook.

	== Help Systems on Different Operating Systems ==		== Help Systems on Different Operating Systems ==

Colin Marquardt: /* Windows */

2006-06-21T14:13:49Z

Windows

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:13, 21 June 2006
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	** [http://www.herdsoft.com/linux/themen/hlp_to_chm.html Converting .hlp files to .chm]		** [http://www.herdsoft.com/linux/themen/hlp_to_chm.html Converting .hlp files to .chm]
	** [http://xchm.sourceforge.net/ xchm], a CHM viewer		** [http://xchm.sourceforge.net/ xchm], a CHM viewer
			** [http://gnochm.sourceforge.net/ GnoCHM], another CHM viewer (for Gnome)
	** [http://www.nongnu.org/chmspec/latest/ unofficial CHM spec]		** [http://www.nongnu.org/chmspec/latest/ unofficial CHM spec]
	** [http://www.speakeasy.org/%7Erussotto/chm/ CHM doc]		** [http://www.speakeasy.org/%7Erussotto/chm/ CHM doc]

Colin Marquardt: /* MacOS X */ +chmox

2006-06-21T14:11:28Z

MacOS X: +chmox

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:11, 21 June 2006
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	=== MacOS X ===		=== MacOS X ===
	The [http://www.devworld.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/ProvidingUserAssitAppleHelp/user_help_intro/chapter_1_section_1.html "User Assistance"] technology or environment has [http://www.stepwise.com/SpecialCoverage/WWDC2001/501.html evolved] through several major stages, but has always been based upon a restricted HTML 3.2 [http://cocoadevcentral.com/articles/000072.php markup] and a lightweight "Help Viewer". See [http://www.andymatuschak.org/articles/2005/12/18/help-with-apple-help Help on Apple Help] for a near illegible page that describes the making of the excellent help system for the pixel editor [http://www.andymatuschak.org/pages/pixen/ Pixen] (not that many Inkscapers use pixel editors). Apple provides a [http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGUsingTechnologies/chapter_8_section_13.html comprehensive account] of the Human Interface factors relating to its technology, but this may be just outside what we need to be thinking about for Inkscape right now,		The [http://www.devworld.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/ProvidingUserAssitAppleHelp/user_help_intro/chapter_1_section_1.html "User Assistance"] technology or environment has [http://www.stepwise.com/SpecialCoverage/WWDC2001/501.html evolved] through several major stages, but has always been based upon a restricted HTML 3.2 [http://cocoadevcentral.com/articles/000072.php markup] and a lightweight "Help Viewer". See [http://www.andymatuschak.org/articles/2005/12/18/help-with-apple-help Help on Apple Help] for a near illegible page that describes the making of the excellent help system for the pixel editor [http://www.andymatuschak.org/pages/pixen/ Pixen] (not that many Inkscapers use pixel editors). Apple provides a [http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGUsingTechnologies/chapter_8_section_13.html comprehensive account] of the Human Interface factors relating to its technology, but this may be just outside what we need to be thinking about for Inkscape right now.

			* [http://chmox.sourceforge.net/ "Read your CHM documents on your Mac."] - maybe an option too

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Colin Marquardt: /* Windows */ Add some promising links.

2006-06-21T14:10:10Z

Windows: Add some promising links.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:10, 21 June 2006
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	=== Windows ===		=== Windows ===
	* Can we produce [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compressed_HTML_Help CHM files]?		* Can we produce [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compressed_HTML_Help CHM files]?
			** [http://www.kosek.cz/xml/dboscon/dbhelp/frames.html From DocBook to integrated help systems]
			** [http://www.herdsoft.com/linux/themen/hlp_to_chm.html Converting .hlp files to .chm]
			** [http://xchm.sourceforge.net/ xchm], a CHM viewer
			** [http://www.nongnu.org/chmspec/latest/ unofficial CHM spec]
			** [http://www.speakeasy.org/%7Erussotto/chm/ CHM doc]
			** http://beeblex.com/lists/index.php/php.pear.doc/7216?s=l:php.pear.doc

	=== MacOS X ===		=== MacOS X ===

Colin Marquardt: /* Ideas */ Link to Wiki page for User Manual.

2006-06-21T10:20:31Z

Ideas: Link to Wiki page for User Manual.

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:20, 21 June 2006
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	== Ideas ==		== Ideas ==
	* ~~[http://svn.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.cgi/inkscape/user_manual/trunk/~~ Cedric and Kevin's ~~manual~~] would be a nice base		* Cedric and Kevin's [[UserManual]] would be a nice base
	* kind of 3 levels of needs: instant help (already existing, but not for effects/extensions :( ); then a kind of embedded glossary, and finally a big user manual		* kind of 3 levels of needs: instant help (already existing, but not for effects/extensions :( ); then a kind of embedded glossary, and finally a big user manual
	** short explanation text should be integrated in the inx file or the extension code and then displayed (in a tab for a dialog ?) with the effect... I don't know what would be the best display place for it (status bar at least)		** short explanation text should be integrated in the inx file or the extension code and then displayed (in a tab for a dialog ?) with the effect... I don't know what would be the best display place for it (status bar at least)

Colin Marquardt: /* Rationale */

2006-06-21T10:12:01Z

Rationale

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:12, 21 June 2006
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	* tutorials don't have hyperlinks nor an index		* tutorials don't have hyperlinks nor an index
	* tutorials cannot really be searched - search is limited to the current document and doesn't jump from hit to hit, but just highlights all hits, and the user has to comb though these		* tutorials cannot really be searched - search is limited to the current document and doesn't jump from hit to hit, but just highlights all hits, and the user has to comb though these

			Therefore, we should have a "regular", embedded help system in Inkscape, in conjunction to the tutorials.

	== Ideas ==		== Ideas ==

Colin Marquardt: +Rationale

2006-06-21T10:10:29Z

+Rationale

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:10, 21 June 2006
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			== Rationale ==
			Inkscape 0.44 has some great tutorials, but they alone can not replace an embedded help system like other applications have. The deficiencies are:
			* one cannot find help for a specific tool
			* tutorials don't have hyperlinks nor an index
			* tutorials cannot really be searched - search is limited to the current document and doesn't jump from hit to hit, but just highlights all hits, and the user has to comb though these

	== Ideas ==		== Ideas ==
	* [http://svn.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.cgi/inkscape/user_manual/trunk/ Cedric and Kevin's manual] would be a nice base		* [http://svn.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.cgi/inkscape/user_manual/trunk/ Cedric and Kevin's manual] would be a nice base

Colin Marquardt: Embedded help moved to Embedded Help

2006-06-21T10:00:01Z

Embedded help moved to Embedded Help

← Older revision	Revision as of 10:00, 21 June 2006
(No difference)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:14, 3 July 2007
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* [http://www.g2meyer.com/usablehelp/items.html Usable Help], a list of just under 250 links to articles on documentation and help systems for software and consumer products.		* [http://www.g2meyer.com/usablehelp/items.html Usable Help], a list of just under 250 links to articles on documentation and help systems for software and consumer products.
	* [http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Report_on_c%27t_article_12/2006 Review from German c't magazine] pointing out the need of some embedded documentation/help		* [http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Report_on_c%27t_article_12/2006 Review of Inkscape 0.44 from German c't magazine] pointing out the need of some embedded documentation/help
	* ScislaC has a plan to re-arrange and extend our existing tutorial system (FIXME: is there anything written down yet?)		* ScislaC has a plan to re-arrange and extend our existing tutorial system (FIXME: is there anything written down yet?)


	[[Category:Developer Documentation]]		[[Category:Developer Documentation]]