Robert, I think you have some wonderful suggestions for making the documentation better. Could we request to send in pull request for the changes that you have outlined - this way, others could benefit from your input even more. It may be a while before existing committers may be able to get to the documentation, and sending in pull request would possibly be the quickest way.
Also, if you are hesitant about sending in a pull request, or are having trouble, please let us know - I think we should also work on ensuring that the community can edit documents much more easily. -----Original Message----- From: Robert Hoffmann [mailto:robert.hoffmann....@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 3:08 AM To: dev@cordova.apache.org Subject: Re: Where to download Cordova shell tools? Thank you for these links! Please find below some thoughts... maybe they can help you make the documentation and user experience for dummies like me even better :) In hindsight "npm install cordova-android" seems obvious, but I would not have guessed it. Especially because I want to be confident about the version I am using. 1) So it is good to know where I can get stable but also previous releases: 1a) Using GitHub e.g. https://github.com/apache/cordova-android 1b) https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fdist.apache.org%2frepos%2fdist%2frelease%2fcordova&data=01%7c01%7cpanarasi%40microsoft.com%7c5b9a0fbf473c4194543f08d2fb388ad7%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=jbyGVWr0AU6%2brxlKzLVemfLHMkbC4gbvH8F%2f9FJyW8A%3d 2) Download section IMHO, from a user (not contributor) perspective a download section should basically list Platforms, Plugins, Other (like the Contribute page)... but omit the Apache link and instead provide a link to npm (or a popup with the command 'npm install cordova-android' to copy) In other words: GitHub for power users. And npm for convenience. And I would put Download in the top menu left of Contribute, because you surely have more downloading users than contributing users. 3) Then "{Platform} Shell Tool Guide" sections in the documentation could point to this download section instead of just cordova.apache.org. Dealing with shell tools seems unavoidable (e.g. for many plugins) so they 'deserve' more emphasis. 4) Generally there is this balancing between cli and shell tools, which took me some time to grasp. The fact that cli is a shell tool too did not help ;) Maybe "Power Tools" would be a more appropriate? 5) Regarding GitHub Could you recommend to git clone cordova-android specifically for one app project? And then just update it with (git pull) when needed? Following with a project update (i.e. "cordova-android/bin/update") Thank you and best regards, Robert On 02/12/15 02:16, Steven Gill wrote: > Sure. But for the example above, where someone wants cordova-android > (especially with the new platform API), we are going to see more > people wanting to require('cordova-android'). We should atleast > provide links to our official download distributions on our site. If > not on the contributions page, somewhere else. Maybe the repos that > aren't published to npm just don't get the link? > > Another example, how does someone figure out how to install plugman > currently? > > > On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 5:12 PM, Dmitry Blotsky <dblot...@microsoft.com > <mailto:dblot...@microsoft.com>> wrote: > > Footer sounds good to me. > > I’m not a fan of adding NPM links for two reasons though: > 1). Not every repo should be installed manually via NPM > 2). The information on the NPM page is already shown on GitHub > > Kindly, > Dmitry > > > On Dec 1, 2015, at 4:20 PM, Steven Gill <stevengil...@gmail.com > <mailto:stevengil...@gmail.com>> wrote: > > > > I'd say footer as most of our users aren't going to use dist. > > > > I think it is worth adding the npm links for all of our repos at > > > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org%2fcontribute%2f&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c5ec7ab5bff404293b51a08d2faae74f7%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=CN9fj7oBBdz9NjcPtMg9lBwmoGWoR1ckyfdzwvKnDGw%3d > beside the github and apache git repo > > links. > > > > On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 3:59 PM, Dmitry Blotsky > <dblot...@microsoft.com <mailto:dblot...@microsoft.com>> > > wrote: > > > >> We do have “npm install -g cordova” on the front page, but I > guess there > >> is no clear link to > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fdist.apache.org%2frepos%2fdist%2frelease%2fcordova%2f&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c5ec7ab5bff404293b51a08d2faae74f7%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=3DOY5UW13ODLMdOC1igajVAavJjIproR0mWP%2bL46z1E%3d > >> anywhere. I really like that link and I think it would be great > to have it > >> easily accessible. I’m leaning toward the header (a bit loud) > or the footer > >> (a bit hard to find). Where do you folks think it should go? > >> > >> Kindly, > >> Dmitry > >> > >> On Dec 1, 2015, at 2:12 PM, Steven Gill <stevengil...@gmail.com > <mailto:stevengil...@gmail.com><mailto: > >> stevengil...@gmail.com <mailto:stevengil...@gmail.com>>> wrote: > >> > >> If you want cordova-android, you can download it from > github[1], npm[2] or > >> apache dist[3]. > >> > >> We need to add links to npm + dist on the website. Any thoughts > where we > >> should add them? Maybe we should add a download section. > >> > >> [1] https://github.com/apache/cordova-android > >> [2] > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.npmjs.com%2fpackage%2fcordova-android&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=GGHnAI%2f5yayUamaOj8SMXpoE1DhmGPAt59g8r9yI2JE%3d > >> [3] > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fdist.apache.org%2frepos%2fdist%2frelease%2fcordova%2f&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=U9We28UuDLFjnOaKQgqNRfBAEqJJteyP%2fqHfyvcQb7E%3d > >> > >> On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 7:20 AM, Robert Hoffmann < > >> robert.hoffmann....@gmail.com > > <mailto:robert.hoffmann....@gmail.com><mailto:robert.hoffmann....@gmail.com > <mailto:robert.hoffmann....@gmail.com>>> > >> wrote: > >> > >> Hi, > >> > >> The cordova documentation refers multiple time to "download from > >> > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=cordova.apache.org&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=BE5ImGaeeiU0b73d8qvcUWwPXMpKVGaMjuEDAXusDGo%3d > >> " > >> > >> e.g. > >> > >> > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org%2fdocs%2fen%2flatest%2fguide%2fplatforms%2fandroid%2ftools.html&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=hkjD6j9615mybO%2b%2bjcmmKSTuheVaRaZoRJSQN5zD1uE%3d > >> "To enable shell tools for Android, download Cordova from > >> > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=cordova.apache.org&data=01%7c01%7cpanarasi%40microsoft.com%7c5b9a0fbf473c4194543f08d2fb388ad7%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=qSCZAz9MaBZXDiEiQGH%2bTr2ljttdAThiIgw6tGF3iFw%3d > > <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org&data=01%7c01%7cpanarasi%40microsoft.com%7c5b9a0fbf473c4194543f08d2fb388ad7%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=y1d9Mp9ffWzceS5Kav6klYNdPkteANx5A%2fjsvpXi%2fvc%3d>. > The download > contains separate archives for each > >> platform." > >> > >> > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org%2fdocs%2fen%2flatest%2fguide%2foverview%2findex.html&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=9bqMnb8zi%2fiUvgDenS7TIgDEsnaV5mP89E9jky9fEtE%3d > >> "Lower-level shell utilities are available at > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=cordova.apache.org&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=BE5ImGaeeiU0b73d8qvcUWwPXMpKVGaMjuEDAXusDGo%3d > >> in a > >> separate distribution than the CLI" > >> > >> > >> But at > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org%2f&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=hc857cM2xzUvrzC9V0zEUlgfKfCvynjPZN37iAAwXl8%3d > >> there is no download section (at least > >> none that I could find). > >> > >> Under the menu Contribute " > >> > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fcordova.apache.org%2fcontribute%2f&data=01%7c01%7cdblotsky%40microsoft.com%7c8b5b6e4b8fa2407e1ec208d2fa9c8e90%7c72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7c1&sdata=PzScgbaOegMDg2EwYuVpM7fbS%2fuA7I1a3QHwAcg1olw%3d"; > >> there > >> are links to github projects... > >> > >> Is this the place to download platform shell tools (e.g. > cordova-android)? > >> > >> But what about stable releases, are they available somewhere? > >> > >> Sorry, if I should be missing something very basic. > >> > >> Thank you, > >> Robert > >> > >> > >> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@cordova.apache.org > <mailto:dev-unsubscr...@cordova.apache.org> > >> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@cordova.apache.org > <mailto:dev-h...@cordova.apache.org> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >
