Wiki Landing Page

Adrien Monteleone adrien.monteleone at gmail.com
Sun May 28 00:02:41 EDT 2017


FYI, I don’t believe the help or the guide comes with the Mac bundle either. I tried the links in the help menu for both and nothing happened. I should think if they aren’t installed, they should at least point to the appropriate locations on the web. (I think there is already a bug for this)

-Adrien
> On May 27, 2017, at 7:03 PM, doncram <doncram at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for your reply to me.  Right, I have to agree that what is on the
> main page needs to be simple, and can't link to multiple versions of the
> Help manual or of the Tutorial and Concepts Guide.  A different page about
> documentation in the Wiki should list all the separate versions, however,
> to inform any of us trying to develop them, or trying to understand why one
> user says they do see or don't see something odd.  Your point that "for
>> Linux users, the docs are not included in the base package, but must be
> installed separately" should be stated, for example.
> 
> However, I still think the main page should not basically say "for other
> documentation, see this documentation page at the website" when that target
> only lists the Help manual and the Tutorial and Concepts Guide and gives no
> other documentation, and then goes off into non-documentation like email
> lists and IRC.  And I do think the FAQ on the Wiki, at least, if not any
> searchable interface to the email archives, should be considered part of
> documentation and mentioned in the main page.
> 
> Again, I think if you and I could edit a "sandbox" version of the mainpage,
> we could sort all this out, and anyone could review to see that it all
> works, and then an administrator could easily copy it over to the
> mainpage.  I meant to ask anyone to please create such a sandbox page so we
> could do that, by my previous email reply (which i think went to just you,
> until i just forwarded a new copy to gnucash-dev.
> 
> Could someone please open a page at
> http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/GnuCash/sandbox  for me and David T. to edit
> at.  :)  I am not allowed to create a new page.  Or I can wait a few more
> days and see whether I automatically get rights to create new wiki pages,
> which I was told may happen after being emailconfirmed for a week.
> 
> Cheers, --Don
> 
> 
> On Fri, May 26, 2017 at 10:22 PM, David T. <sunfish62 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> On May 27, 2017, at 12:41 AM, doncram <doncram at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I think the suggested proposed page is good.  I do have a few changes to
>> the proposed version to suggest, including about clarifying what
>> documentation is available, and I'd like for you and me and anyone else to
>> be able to edit, in the Wiki, a proposed new version of the main Wiki page.
>> 
>> It's not clear which exact links you mean where you have written "{link}"
>> in a few places.  I'd like to be more clear about those, and their
>> labelling.  Specifically, I would not recommend linking to the
>> "Documentation" page at the website, which mixes topic of documentation
>> with support, and which omits some documentation.  I have no idea how to
>> change the website, but let's try to make the main Wiki page comprehensive
>> and accurate about the Documentation available.
>> 
>> 
>> Don,
>> 
>> The Help link and the Tutorial link would go directly to those docs (e.g.
>> http://www.gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?doc=help & http:
>> //www.gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?doc=guide), since they are the officially
>> released materials. The last line of that section would link to
>> http://www.gnucash.org/docs.phtml.
>> 
>> My intention in the Documentation section here is not to include every
>> Documentation permutation of every possibility that might exist; my goal is
>> to provide the best means of getting good information about GnuCash.
>> Linking to the official, current release documentation serves that purpose.
>> I feel that the tendency to be exhaustive results in so much information
>> that the new user is overwhelmed—as, for example your own experience with
>> the Documentation Update Instructions page. Having four entries each for
>> the Help and the Guide IMO is overkill. I would rather have a shorter list
>> that addresses most immediate needs, but points to the other options that
>> are available, for those who need that as well. Section 1.1 in my example
>> does exactly that.
>> 
>> I’m not sure what you mean about the Documentation page on the GnuCash
>> website omitting things. As I understand it, there are exactly two official
>> pieces of documentation: the Help Manual, and the Tutorial and Concepts
>> Guide. Both of these are available at the Documentation page on the main
>> website. What is missing?
>> 
>> Specific comments on your edits:
>> 1)
>> ​​
>> For Linux users, I believe, the docs are not included in the base package,
>> but must be installed separately. Perhaps different wording could be found.
>> 2) Development copies of the docs are available from
>> www.gnucash.org/docs.phtml
>> 3) Adding the Guide glossary to my mind is duplicative; we already
>> referred the user to the Guide; they can see the Glossary there. Moreover,
>> the Wiki glossary refers to the Guide glossary at the beginning of the page.
>> 4) We could quibble over whether the mailing lists constitute
>> documentation or not. I felt the lists were more support-oriented than
>> documentation oriented, although I conceded that many questions on the list
>> are answered by suggesting the user search the list achives.
>> 5) There is no GnuCash-user search interface, beyond Google.
>> 
>> David
>> 
>> 
>> Note that Documentation available includes:
>>   Help manual (available within your downloaded GnuCash software, in
>> whatever version that is)
>>   Help manual ( http://www.gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?doc=help  , with
>> version not identified )
>>   Help manual version 2.6 (specifically available somewhere within the
>> website )
>>   Help manual version latest version in progress (available within
>> GnuCash, if you download the working, non-stable version of GnuCash?  Not
>> available online? Or available somewhere within
>> http://code.gnucash.org/docs/ ?)
>>   Tutorial and Concepts Guide (available within your downloaded GnuCash
>> software, in whatever version that is)
>>   Tutorial and Concepts Guide ( http://www.gnucash.org/
>> viewdoc.phtml?doc=guide , with version not identified )
>>   Tutorial and Concepts Guide version 2.6 (specifically available within
>> the website, somewhere)
>>   Tutorial and Concepts Guide latest version in progress (available
>> within GnuCash, if you download the working, non-stable version of
>> GnuCash?  Not available online?  Or available somewhere within
>> http://code.gnucash.org/docs/ ?)
>>   Glossary, within the Tutorial and Concepts Guide
>>   Glossary at the Wiki, which states that it may have more (
>> http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Glossary )
>>   FAQ at the Wiki
>>   Gnucash-user email list archive by month from July 2000 (
>> https://lists.gnucash.org/pipermail/gnucash-user/ )
>>   Gnucash-user search interface (available where?)
>> Note "Support" available is different, and includes the email lists and
>> IRC chat.
>> 
>> Could someone please create a Wiki subpage at Talk:GnuCash/sandbox (i.e.
>> http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Talk:GnuCash/sandbox) where David T. and I
>> and anyone else could edit the proposal?  I suggest calling it "sandbox" in
>> parallel to how, in Wikipedia, development of revisions to protected
>> templates is done.  When we have a complete version there, fully functional
>> with all links and so on, and have reached some consensus about it being
>> ready (via discussion at Talk:GnuCash and/or here in gnucash-devel), then
>> it will be easy for an administrator to copy it over to the main page.
>> 
>> Developing a proposed new version within the Wiki is consistent with the
>> plan envisaged at the Talk page of the main page, which states:
>> Please add your suggested changes here and we will commit them as soon as
>> possible (usually in less than a few hours).--Cstim
>> <http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/User:Cstim> 04:53, 27 January 2006 (EST)
>> 
>> But I think it is helpful to have a complete new version in a Wiki page,
>> ready to be copied over, rather than requesting changes piecemeal on the
>> Talk page or on the gnucash-devel email list.  It is too cumbersome to
>> request them that way, and requested change might not work, because it
>> hasn't been demonstrated in a sandbox.  I would develop the sandbox if
>> someone would please create a sandbox page. :)
>> 
>> cheers, Don
>> 
>> On Fri, May 26, 2017 at 2:30 AM, David T. via gnucash-devel <
>> gnucash-devel at gnucash.org> wrote:
>> 
>>> I would like to propose substantial changes to the Wiki landing page (
>>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/GnuCash <https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki
>>> /GnuCash>), a page I can’t edit. I apologize in advance for the length
>>> and complexity of this email, but that’s the price to pay for control.
>>> 
>>> For ease of analysis, I have put
>>> 
>>> {Begin}--------------- and
>>> {END}-------------------
>>> 
>>> around the proposed wiki text. I should also note that there are many
>>> minor edits in my texts, beyond the higher-level reorganization. Finally, I
>>> include comments about changes in a section immediately after that section.
>>> 
>>> Now, on to the edits!
>>> 
>>> First off, the complexity of the page recommends an opening table of
>>> contents with the following (linked) top level headings:
>>> 
>>> 1) Available Documentation
>>> 1.x) Wiki Translation
>>> 2) Installation
>>> 3) Support Options
>>> 4) Developing for GnuCash
>>> 
>>> This table of contents should include secondary headings as appropriate.
>>> 
>>> Note that I propose demoting the Wiki Translation section as a subsection
>>> of Available Documentation, since the wikis are, after all, a part of the
>>> documentation. I wonder whether there is a better way to handle this,
>>> though. I recognize that it is important to get speakers of other languages
>>> to their native language sites, but I wonder if there is a way to mimic
>>> what www.gnucash.org does, with language links at the top?
>>> 
>>> Additionally, I recommend promoting Installation to a primary level since
>>> this is a subject that comes up regularly, and this will bring this
>>> always-contentious issue into more prominence.
>>> 
>>> Stylistically overall, the page needs bullet entries to begin with a name
>>> of the entity being described. For example, under Wiki Translation, the
>>> bullets should begin with “German Language Wiki,” “Spanish Language Wiki,”
>>> and “Portugese Language Wiki.” This convention should be applied
>>> consistently in each section, and will allow the table of contents to make
>>> sense.
>>> 
>>> Under Available Documentation, I propose the following:
>>> 
>>> {BEGIN}-------------------------------------
>>> 1. Available Documentation
>>> 1.1 Official GnuCash Documentation. GnuCash offers two major pieces of
>>> documentation:
>>>        • The Help Manual {linked} - a quick reference manual for
>>> specific tasks, and
>>>        • The Tutorial and Concepts Guide {link} - an in-depth guide to
>>> the concepts. It is highly recommended to read at least the first chapters
>>> of the guide.
>>>        For the latest documentation (i.e., unstable releases of the
>>> documentation), or to get documentation for other languages or earlier
>>> releases, see the Documentation page on the GnuCash.org
>>> <http://gnucash.org> website {link}.
>>> 
>>> 1.2 GnuCash Wikis
>>>        (Parts of) this wiki have been translated into other languages or
>>> contain information for one specific language only.
>>>        • The German Wiki {link} de/GnuCash Deutsche Wiki-Seiten, im
>>> Entstehen.
>>>        • The Spanish Wiki {link} es/GnuCash Wiki español.
>>>        • The Portugese Wiki {link} pt/GnuCash Sítio Wiki em Português,
>>> em andamento.
>>> 
>>> 1.3 The GnuCash FAQ {link} contains the collection of frequently asked
>>> questions about GnuCash, including administration, accounting, and glossary
>>> questions.
>>> 
>>> 1.4 Using GnuCash collects real life experiences using GnuCash. You may
>>> find (user) solutions here that are not covered by the documentation.
>>> 
>>> 1.5 The Wiki Glossary explains some often used terms, with additional
>>> terms useful for developers, documentation writers, and translators.
>>> 
>>> 1.6 More Specific Topics [NOTE: I think this needs re-thinking generally;
>>> I believe these pages should be linked in elsewhere altogether. In the
>>> interest of moving the discussion along, I have kept them here, but see
>>> below]
>>>        • "Normal” Usage
>>>                • Keyboard Shortcuts
>>>                • Using Scheduled Transactions
>>>                • Online Banking: Setting up OFXDirectConnect in GnuCash
>>> 2 and AqBanking (FinTS/HBCI)
>>>                • Trading Accounts (New since 2.3.8/2.4.0)
>>>        • Scripting and Programming
>>>                • How to create some Custom Reports
>>>                • Python Bindings
>>>                • Notes about the C API
>>>                • The GnuCash API
>>>        • Error Seaching
>>>                • Logging messages and filtering detail.
>>>                • Getting a Stack Trace.
>>> 1.7 External Documentation Resources
>>>        • GnuCash Quick Start Guide For Business Users.
>>>        • Also, business users might be interested in a book by PacktPub,
>>> UK: GnuCash 2.4 Small Business Accounting, by Ashok Ramachandran.
>>>        • List to external international documentation and a somewhat
>>> outdated list of available online documentation.
>>> 
>>> {END}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> I recommend that the section currently in Documentation called “Some more
>>> specific topics:” should be moved off this page altogether.
>>> The “Normal” Usage and Scripting and Programming sections could be moved
>>> to the Using GnuCash page, and the Error Searching section should be moved
>>> below to the Support Options section, or to the page on filing a bug.
>>> 
>>> Moving on, Installation should similarly be modified:
>>> 
>>> {BEGIN}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> 2. Installation
>>> Installation instructions for the different operating systems under which
>>> GnuCash operates are included below.
>>> 2.1 Linux
>>>        • Debian, Debian packages
>>>        • Gentoo
>>>        • Mandriva
>>>        • RedHat: FC5, RHEL4, CentOS4.3, RHEL5 / SL5.
>>>        • SuSE
>>>        • Slackware
>>>        • Ubuntu
>>> 
>>> 2.2 Windows
>>>        • GnuCash runs on Windows. Download the binary package from
>>> sourceforge.net.
>>> 
>>> 2.3 Mac OS X
>>>        • GnuCash runs on Mac OS X. Download the binary package from
>>> sourceforge.net.
>>>        • For compiling GnuCash on Mac OS X, see MacOSXInstallation and
>>> specific MacOSX/Quartz tips.
>>> 
>>> 2.4 Other Operating Systems
>>>        • FreeBSD
>>>        • Solaris
>>> 
>>> {END}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> NextSupport Options modifications:
>>> 
>>> {BEGIN}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> 3) Support Options
>>> If you read the relevant parts of the pages above and are still stuck
>>> with a problem or only wish to give some feedback, you can contact us in
>>> several ways.
>>> 
>>> 3.1 Current discussion
>>>        • Mailing Lists. Most users will probably contact the GnuCash
>>> user community through the appropriate language user mailing list
>>> (gnucash-user, gnucash-de, gnucash-nl, gnucash-it, gnucash-es, gnucash-fr,
>>> gnucash-br).
>>>        Additional information can be found at
>>> wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists.
>>>        • IRC Chat. Some users may wish to use IRC chat, usually in
>>> english, as the quickest way to get answers.
>>> 
>>> 3.2 External support pages
>>> These external support sites have subsections related to Gnucash. They
>>> are not maintained by the gnucash team, so there is no guarantee on the
>>> correctness of the information you will find here.
>>>        • Stack Exchange. Includes a forum on money with "gnucash" tagged
>>> questions.
>>> 
>>> 3.3 Feature requests and bug tracking
>>>        • Bugzilla. GnuCash's bug database for error reports and
>>> enhancement requests.
>>>        • Uservoice Forum. For more general feature requests.
>>> 
>>> 3.4 Third party tools
>>> Several users have published tools to work with Gnucash.
>>> 
>>> {END}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> Note that “Third Party Tools” isn’t about support, but I can’t figure out
>>> where it would fit on this page. Should there be a main section for “Other
>>> Resources”?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Finally, Developing for GnuCash:
>>> 
>>> {BEGIN}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> 4) Developing for GnuCash
>>> You may also want to check out http://www.gnucash.org/ for the latest
>>> news.
>>> 
>>> This part of the wiki is intended to become the main repository of
>>> GnuCash developer documentation. Some formerly static pages have been moved
>>> here from the Website http://www.gnucash.org, but the move is not yet
>>> complete. Some remaining static pages may be out of date. Wherever a wiki
>>> article disagrees with a static web page on the Website, the wiki article
>>> here is more likely to be correct.
>>> 
>>> 4.1 Getting involved in the project
>>> The GnuCash Project is a volunteer-driven organization. We need your help
>>> to survive and grow, to help others and to help the Project.
>>> There are many ways to contribute your knowledge and experience.
>>> Contributing to GnuCash identifies a number of ways to get involved. Below
>>> are general ways.
>>> 
>>> 4.2 Mailing Lists
>>> Subscribing to the mailing lists, and asking and answering questions
>>> there, is an excellent way to begin contributing the the success of
>>> GnuCash. See the Mailing lists wiki page for more.
>>> 
>>> 4.3 Filing Bugs and Enhancement Requests
>>> Improvements and fixes can be submitted using the Bugzilla bug tracker;
>>> more general suggestions can be made via the uservoice pages. See {link}
>>> for more.
>>> 
>>> 4.4 Developing the Documentation
>>>        • Documentation Update Instructions. This page describes the
>>> process to change both the GnuCash Tutorial and Concepts Guide and the Help
>>> Manual.
>>>        • Doxygen Documentation. The Doxygen source documentation system
>>> and its wiki page.
>>> 
>>> 4.5 Translating the Documentation
>>>        • Translations gives an overview of this process, but please keep
>>> an eye on the Translation Status.
>>> 
>>> 4.6 Developing the Application Code
>>> 4.6.1 Policy
>>>        • Our Development Process
>>>        • Coding Standards
>>>        • Testing
>>> 
>>> 4.6.2 Procedures
>>>        • Git access
>>>        • Building GnuCash from source code.
>>>        • Notes about the Graphical User Interface aka GUI
>>>        • Some notes about the GnuCash XML format for the XML Backend.
>>>        • The schema for the SQL Backend.
>>> 
>>> 4.6.3 Other Development Notes
>>>        • How to improve or add new Account Hierarchy Templates.
>>>        • Reminders for the Project Administration
>>>        • Special events
>>>                • There was a Bounty Program in June / July 2013
>>>                • GSoC Google Summer of Code
>>> 
>>> 4.6.4 Future developments
>>>        • Our Release Schedule
>>>        • Future Roadmap
>>>        • A general edited list of requested enhancements: WishList
>>>        • Particular enhancements:
>>>                • Concept Guide
>>>                • Budgets
>>>                • Credit Notes
>>>        • Old discussions about enhancement requests that have been
>>> implemented.
>>>                • Upgrade from 1.8.9 to 1.8.10 and HBCI online banking
>>> support
>>>        • Discussion about the License
>>> 
>>> {END}----------------------------------
>>> 
>>> Under Future Developments, I think that the Particular Enhancements and
>>> Old Discussions could be eliminated. Given that the WishList page says that
>>> it is irrelevant, perhaps it should go too (not to mention the entire page).
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> gnucash-devel mailing list
>>> gnucash-devel at gnucash.org
>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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