Jody Garnett wrote:
Peter N. Schweitzer wrote:
for this information, point it out. But a bug-tracking system is
not the place for users to find that info. (Of course if there were
a mailing list called [EMAIL PROTECTED], I'd be posting this there!)
I agree we need to collect documentation on the wiki - and package it up
for each release. The same documentation from the wiki is what appears
in the uDig help menu (specifically the documentation at the time the
application was made).
My concern was that a) we start writing down the instructions on how to
run udig and b) we not mix up the instructions with bug reports.
Well I agree, I think the problem I encounter as a user (not yet
a developer) is that there isn't any place to compile questions
with or without answers. FAQs are really wonderful things, if
they're kept well. It is much harder to glean answers to questions
from the archives of the developers' email list. This is why I asked
whether there's an overall plan for user documentation.
Here is the text:
Due to a known problem in one of the supporting libraries, when first
started uDig shows a pop-up window recommending that Linux users
disable advanced graphics. Under what conditions is this necessary,
and for what user interface features are there problems? Is there a
work-around? Perhaps downloading some extra package and installing it
manually?
I do not even know how to disable advanced graphics ... can someone tell
me so we can make this paragraph useful? I join the author in asking
"what is going on".
Ah, this one is pretty easy. At startup the first time, uDig shows
you a dialog that you can use to disable advanced graphics, and it
suggests that you might want to do it. After that time, you can
disable (or re-enable) advanced graphics using a check box in
Window > Preferences > uDig UI. This seems to work: the zoom box
gets a degree of transparency when advanced graphics are enabled
and is opaque when advanced graphics are disabled.
But I agree that it would be good to have a little more background
info on this issue written up somewhere. I have only a superficial
understanding of it. I can say "advanced graphics" but I don't know
what it means here.
But this all makes me wonder whether there is a well-defined plan for
user documentation. My point is that if you don't plan for it, it'll
creep into places that you don't want it to go.
I want instructions in as many places as I can get them. Mixing them
with questions will only confuse ...
Instructions are good; instructions with explanations are better ;-)
My point about users is that they can help you, and you don't get
that benefit if you only talk to developers. Users won't know what
"eclipse" is and arguably don't need to know. I'm only dimly aware of
it, yet the answers to some of my questions are in its documentation.
I'm suggesting that this is not desirable in the long term.
and I still can't get an info window--sure would be nice to click on
a feature and see its attributes.
Peter
--
Peter N. Schweitzer (MS 954, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192)
(703) 648-6533 FAX: (703) 648-6252 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<http://geology.usgs.gov/peter/>
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