[Xfce-i18n] Documentation wiki on docs.xfce.org

[Robin Jacobs]

I definitely agree on this one. There's a huge lack on good documentation,
and a lot of the existing documentation is outdated.

The problem with things like this is usually that there's a newer version
before the docs of the initial version are done, though. I suggest that we
add some kind of version control system. So that on every doc, there's some
kind of indication about what version of the package the doc describes, and
that docs for older versions of the packages are listed at the bottom of
the page.

2011/12/30 Nick Schermer <nickschermer at gmail.com>

> Folks,
>
> This was bought up on #xfce-dev yesterday and I'd like to discuss this
> on the ml.
>
> It is about the endless problem of documentation. I know this does not
> apply to all packages, but most of them have no or outdated docs. Main
> reason is that docs are hard to write (docbook, mallard, it makes not
> much of a difference), repository access.. you name it, but fact is
> that (does not apply to you Shara), not much people work on the
> manuals.
>
> Main argument for offline docs is for people without internet. I agree
> with that, but as a start it is better to have good online docs than a
> "page not found" warning in your web browser, because that is what
> most Help-buttons will show you.
>
> So this is what I suggest:
>
> 1. Remove api docs from docs.xfce.org (those are in the packages).
> 2. Setup a wiki on docs.xfce.org with limited access on the English
> versions (translators only need to register, we can optionally work
> with team coordinators here, but I don't this that is required).
> 3. Enable the translation plugin like we have on wiki.xfce.org.
> 4. A script on the server we can use for redirection (function belows
> goes here) (checks for translation, else redirect to English version).
> 5. A function in libxfce4ui to ask the user to go online and visit the
> docs (xfce4-panel already has something like this).
> 6. Some guidelines doc writers have to follow.
> 7. Start with online docs, yeey! Begin with the packages that do not
> have packed docs.
> 8. Benefit! and get more documentation contributors.
>
> In the feature we can look to get regular pulls from the wiki into the
> xfce4-docs page so we can still ship offline versions. Not impossible
> to automate this on the server (daily tarball generation or something
> like that) and can also adjust the function in point 5 easily to
> handle this.
>
> Another discussion point will be versions of the docs (for 4.8, 4.10
> etc). I don't think this is much of a problem for now, but we can
> always branch on the wiki, so we get the following layout (following
> git and archive):
>
> /xfce/getting-started
> /xfce/xfce4-panel
> /xfce/xfce4-panel/clock
> /xfce/xfce4-panel/preferences
> /xfce/xfce4-settings
> /xfce/xfce4-settings/appearance
> /apps/ristretto
> /panel-plugins/
> /<lang>/xfce/xfce4-panel
> /<lang>/....
>
> Then in the future we can copy the "master" docs to
> /xfce/4.10/xfce4-panel if needed.
>
> I can take care of the first 7 points and get everything started. Then
> we obviously need people to work on the docs, but I think everybody
> agrees with me this is not much of a problem in a wiki.
>
> Nick
>
> PS. if you vote against this as a user, the only way you can do so is
> by submitting docs! And it is safe to say your not going to do that...
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>
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