Difference between revisions of "Embedded Help"

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(Further re-arranging.)
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* 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)


== MacOS X ==
== Help Systems on Different Operating Systems ==
=== Linux, *BSD, Other Unices ===
* Do we want to use something like [http://live.gnome.org/Yelp Yelp]?
* [http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gdp/handbook/gdp-handbook/ The GNOME Handbook of Writing Software Documentation] - [http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gdp/handbook/gdp-handbook/ar01s08.html "Writing Context Sensitive Help (coming in GNOME-3.0)"]
 
=== Windows ===
* Can we produce [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compressed_HTML_Help CHM files]?
 
=== 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,


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gdp/handbook/gdp-handbook/ The GNOME Handbook of Writing Software Documentation] - [http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gdp/handbook/gdp-handbook/ar01s08.html "Writing Context Sensitive Help (coming in GNOME-3.0)"]
* [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 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?)


== Open Questions ==
* Do we want to use something like [http://live.gnome.org/Yelp Yelp] in *nix?
* Can we produce [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compressed_HTML_Help CHM files] for Windows?


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

Revision as of 09:58, 21 June 2006

Ideas

  • Cedric and Kevin's manual 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
    • 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)
  • 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)

Help Systems on Different Operating Systems

Linux, *BSD, Other Unices

Windows

MacOS X

The "User Assistance" technology or environment has evolved through several major stages, but has always been based upon a restricted HTML 3.2 markup and a lightweight "Help Viewer". See Help on Apple Help for a near illegible page that describes the making of the excellent help system for the pixel editor Pixen (not that many Inkscapers use pixel editors). Apple provides a 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,

See also

  • Usable Help, a list of just under 250 links to articles on documentation and help systems for software and consumer products.
  • Review 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?)
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