<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jan 19, 2006, at 12:29 AM, Ram Dak wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent">I have a few ideas for improving the handbook documentation and would like to volunteer for implementing them if the people on this list think they will help.<BR> <BR> These ideas are based on the tremendous difficulties I have had as a non-geek in understanding what a drupal core or contributed module does. The only way is to test each one out and this can be really time consuming when testing multiple modules.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I realize that it's probably not perfect but most of what you have asked for is here:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A href="http://drupal.org/handbook/modules">http://drupal.org/handbook/modules</A></DIV><DIV><A href="http://drupal.org/handbook/config/contribmodules">http://drupal.org/handbook/config/contribmodules</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Give me a list of modules that are not included that you are willing to document and I'll help you write pages for them.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>As you probably know these pages have been included the CivicSpace distribution since July, 05.<BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> <BR> Current problems that newbies (and, I suspect, even others) have in understanding modules:<BR> <BR> 1.) Whether a module is dependent on another<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>Dependency will be outlined in administration help handbook pages as well as administer >> help >> modulenames in your Drupal installation. There is some forth coming work on dependency.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> 2.) Whether an sql table should be added to make it work<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Check the readme in the tar ball you download. It could be outlined in the project page. I am not sure that moving it to the project page is going to make much difference since you have to open the package of code.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> 3.) No idea about the different tables added by a module's sql file<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Well, you could look at the MySQL file. I suppose this could be outlined on the project page.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> 4.) No idea about the permissions implemented by a module. <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A href="http://drupal.org/handbook/modules">http://drupal.org/handbook/modules</A> as this page indicates permissions are determined by administration >> access control.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> 5.) No idea of what stuff a module adds to the navigation menu and UI.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>OK, this is interesting. I have tried to include links to configuring module blocks if the module has specific blocks. I can understand that modules add menu items to the navigation menu block. Can you give some other ideas of how modules modify the UI other than blocks and menu's. I think the banner module and front page would have UI changes.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent">6.) Whether the module adds customs blocks that can then be enabled and configured.<BR> <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>The handbook pages should have this in the You can: section.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> There may al so be other aspects that I have overlooked. <BR> <BR> I believe that documenting these would go a long way in helping people get up to speed on drupal very quickly. For example, until I got into the habit of visiting administer>>access control>>permissions>>module name>>permissions, I spent hours wondering why a module was not working. I bet many face the same problem.<BR> <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>I have debated whether to add a link to permissions for each handbook page and decided that it ultimately was fundamental for every module and repeating it everywhere didn't make sense. I do believe it's featured prominently on the administer >> modules page.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> If this sounds useful, I am willing to do this work for 4.6 (as that has the largest user base at the moment), starting with each core module and moving on to the contribs. <BR> <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>Ok well there's already been hundreds of hours of work on this. If you want to expand the pool of administration help pages for contributed modules that would be great. We are currently trying to make sure that the 80 modules here <A href="http://drupal.org/handbook/modules">http://drupal.org/handbook/modules</A> are linked to their project pages and that their modules project pages(or CVS) are linked back to the documentation.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> I also feel that if the handbook would allow screenshots, it would make for great documentation. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and all that.<BR> <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>Absolutely agree. We are looking for someone to take screen shots of administration menu's. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It's best to start with a single steady contribution, so pick one and we can work together to make some of your contributions possible.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV id="RTEContent"> Thanks,<BR> Ramdak </DIV><DIV> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><HR size="1">Yahoo! Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover<BR> <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/photobooks/*http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/photos/evt=38088/*http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//page?.file=photobook_splash.html">Photo Books</A>. You design it and we’ll bind it!<DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">--</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Pending work: <A href="http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/">http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">List archives: <A href="http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/">http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>