[Phpmyadmin-devel] Re: suggestion for Documentation after 2.3

[Alexander Turek]

Beck, Mike wrote:
> hi all,
> 
> what i think should still be improved is the way to get to the
> documentation... at the moment we basically assume (hope/pray whatever)
> that
> anybody has read the document fully and still remembers it when he uses
> PMA.
> 
> now my suggestion would be to have a small function
> call+AF8-docu(+ACQ-anchor)
> 
> which, depending on wether javascript can be used, will write the
> javascript
> code to open the docu at the specified anchor, or a simple +ADw-a
> href+AD4- together
> with some nice little ? symbol.
> then we would 'just' have to go through the docu and enter lots of anchors
> so we can call this function at all places throughout pma to show the user
> an easy way towards the docu.
> 
> idealy a ? icon should be beside every user input field. now this would
> require some more docu +AF8-and+AF8- i really think by then we should
> split up the
> docu into smaller parts, so that we don't need to send the whole docu file
> every time, so it would be something like:
> call+AF8-docu(+ACQ-topic,+ACQ-anchor).

My idea was to introduce something like context help in phpMyAdmin.
I'd also add those ? icons to the interface, but instead of jumping to an
anchor in the documentation I'd prefer to display a short (maybe even
localized) text in a JS window that tells the user more a bout a specific interface
element.
I'd also offer this context help for popular error messages i.e. if the
MySQL server refuses the username / password.

>  2) wasn't there some thought on having the docu in a different format?
> (sgml, xml or whatever)

XML would allow us to translate and modify the documentation more easily.

>  3) i expect nobody ever really hoped we could get the whole docu
> translated, or?

During the Easter holidays I had a little too much time... So... I have a
German docu for 2.2.6-dev that is at about 50%... ;-)
I don't think we need a translated documentation in the distribution, but it
would be something nice for phpMyAdmin.net, wouldn't it?

Have a clean RC4,

Alexander

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