[documentation] High level handbook change proposal

[Michelle Cox]

I've suggested before that docs for previous versions be archived off. I'd 
like to see all the pages in the handbook designed for the current version. 
By archiving older docs, they are still available for people on those 
versions, but people on the current version don't need to see them. I think 
adding subpages or subsections just adds more clutter. If someone wants to 
take the time, simply adding, for example:

4.6: http://drupal.org/archived/node/whatever
4.7: http://drupal.org/archived/node/whatever

at the bottom would be helpful for people on older versions.

Another option would require code changes and so probably wouldn't be done. 
But if there were some way to filter on tags, a user could just check in 
their profile that they only want to see nodes tagged for the current 
version and the rest would just vanish. :)

Michelle



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Wolanin" <pwolanin at gmail.com>
To: "Michelle Cox" <mcox at charter.net>; "A list for documentation writers" 
<documentation at drupal.org>
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 10:15 PM
Subject: Re: [documentation] High level handbook change proposal


> It's certainly friendlier than the current handbook, and in that sense
> I think it provides a useful model for reorganization.
>
> I'm been wondering, also, about how to deal with the versioniing
> issue.  There are already a few significant differences been versions
> in terms of the average end-user (admin) experience:
>
> 1) 4.6 - install all your own tables, make all blocks by hand
> 2) 4.7-install core tables, but most contrib modules install tables
> automatically, blocks per menu, some built-in block visibility
> options.
> 3) 5.0-both core and contrib should install automatically (assuming
> you can create the DB), additional block visibility options built in.
>
> Also, the API and features are changing (more or less) between each of
> these, and will probably change more in future releases.
>
> Some sections of the Handbook only need to be kept up for the current
> release (how to install, is it for me, etc.) others (theming, PHP
> snippets, etc) may need to have sub-sctions for each release, or pages
> where the differences between releases are accounted for.
>
> -Peter
>
> On 9/4/06, Michelle Cox <mcox at charter.net> wrote:
>> I've been thinking for some time that the handbook needs simplifying. 
>> I've
>> been with Drupal well over a year and I still feel overwhelmed when I 
>> look
>> at the landing page. I've started putting my ideas into a book on my
>> personal site. It's far, far from being finished, but it's at least the
>> start of a good mockup of what I've got in my head. I'd love to get some
>> feedback on the general direction I'm taking. Please don't get into 
>> things
>> like what should/shouldn't be bold or whatever as I realize this isn't 
>> even
>> remotely polished.
>>
>> http://shellmultimedia.com/node/2
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Michelle
>> --
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>>