[documentation] A suggestion to improve drupal.org handbooks

[Ram Dak]

You're right. I was also thinking about stuff such as use cases, tips and tricks etc. 
  
  However, at the moment, I am thinking more about the documentation *on*  the handbook pages. I suspect it will be easier to add this stuff there  than to ask module developers to do it. Or, may be I am not  understanding your point?
  
  Ramdak
  

gunnar <gunnar at langemark.com> wrote:  What you're hinting at could extend this way:
Have a structured documentation node type with fields to fill. For a module
document that would mean:

--------

Name of module
Purpose of module
Drupal version(s)
Prerequisites and dependencies
Installation and configuration procedure
- Database
- Settings
- Access Control
- Blocks configuration
- Menus
- Theme related stuff


More
- Snippets
- Working with other modules

Use Cases
(fictional or real)

--------

Best
Gunnar



> 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.
> 
>   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.
> 
>   Current problems that newbies (and, I suspect, even others) have 
> in understanding modules:
> 
>   1.) Whether a module is dependent on another
>   2.) Whether an sql table should be added to make it work
>   3.) No idea about the different tables added by a module's sql file
>   4.) No idea about the permissions implemented by a module.
> 
>   5.) No idea of what stuff a module adds to the navigation menu and 
> UI.
>   6.) Whether the module adds customs blocks that can then be 
> enabled and configured.
> 
>   There may also be other aspects that I have overlooked.
> 
>   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.
> 
>   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.
> 
>   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.
> 
>   Thanks,
>   Ramdak
> 
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover
>  Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it!


Gunnar Langemark
gunnar at langemark.com
--
Pending work: http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/
List archives: http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/



		
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover
 Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it!
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