git-annex/doc/todo/build_a_user_guide.mdwn
2017-04-24 14:18:21 +00:00

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there's a lot of good documentation on this wiki, but it's hard to find sometimes. it's also unclear if we should look in the [[git-annex]] manpage or elsewhere in the wiki or where. this is a typical problem with the use of wikis for documentation: it's there, but hard to find. it doesn't mean a wiki shouldn't be used but, as with any user manual, special care needs to be taken about structure, organisation and making sure the manual is exhaustive.
a good example of this problem is [[todo/document_standard_groups_more_extensively_in_the_UI]]. --[[anarcat]]
update: a beginning of this may be the the [[workflow]] page but it lacks a lot of details...
So we have those entry points so far:
* [[git-annex]] - the manpage
* [[walkthrough]] - "A walkthrough of some of the basic features of git-annex, using the command line", described as "only one possible workflow for using git-annex"
* [[assistant]] - a whole subtree of pages describing the assistant, includes a [[assistant/quickstart]] - introduction to the assistant with a series of screenshots, described in [[walkthrough]] as "If you don't want to use the command line, see quickstart instead.", linked from the [[assistant]] page
* [[workflow]] - a summary of the different workflows that git-annex can use
* [[special remotes]] - a good list of "supported backends", which may be a better wording
* inversely, [[not]] is what is *not* supported, obviously
* [[install]] - how to install git-annex, of course
* [[tips]] - a mish-mash list of "how to do X in git-annex", 68 pages at the time of writing
* there's the "details" section on the frontpage which covers lots of the [[internals]], [[design]] and so on
* there are also what i consider to be "leaf" pages like [[how it works]] or [[sync]] there
So it seems the fundamentals of such a user guide are there. It's just a matter of grouping this in a meaningful way.
I am thinking the following structure may be a good basis:
* Introduction
* [[how it works]]?
* ...?
* [[Install|install]]
* Walkthrough
* [[comandline|walkthrough]]
* [[graphical|assistant/quickstart]]?
* How do I...
* [[Supported backends|special remotes]]
* [[Unsupported features|not]]
* [[split repositories|tips/splitting_a_repository]]
* [[merge repositories|tips/migrating_two_seperate_disconnected_directories_to_git_annex]]
* deal with lots of files: [[tips/Repositories_with_large_number_of_files]] or merge into [[scalability/]]?
* decide which files go where? something about [[preferred_content]] and [[preferred_content/standard_groups/]]?
* sort and regroup the best [[tips]] pages
* Troubleshooting / FAQ?
* [[Common mistakes|tips/antipatterns]]
* sort out the best of [[forums]] and [[tips]] that commonly occur
* [[Design]]
* [[internals]]
* [[encryption]]
* ... etc - all the developer stuff users shouldn't usually have to know unless they care about performance or need to reimplement something