Add-on? Guide and Help pages for TW

[barro...@gmail.com]

Add-on? Guide and Help pages for TW

Guide and help pages made for the custom applications of TW I had created for easy to access info on use of TW and my custom application to ensure an easier first use experience.  I have found the first time experience to be the deciding factor for the most users, only a portion with the motivation will take the extra effort to learn something, too many will abandon it if requires too much effort.  Basically I'm presenting initial guidance right where the user is-- in the wiki and easily accessible while they're first learning TW.  Call me old school, but I believe the visual TW page layout will help illustrate layout and item locations without resorting to external video.

http://pyewackit.net/scratchingpad/guide/TWguidedocs.html

There is probably already much better versions of what I had done by users who have been working with TW much longer than I-- there's so much good stuff of their's out there that I have only seen a fraction of.  But I had to be like Frank Sinatra and do it my way.

My intent to the method of madness:

    For users of a custom application of TW that had been created for them, to explain the wiki and the custom features tailored to their needs.
   
    Bundled with the custom application like a program's help section and tutorials for utmost convenience to ensure its successful first time use by the user.
   
    Not meant to replace more detailed help information at the official TW documentation site but to supplement it with basic introductory information, hopefully written clear and simple enough for easy understanding.   This also makes for a convenient central place for links to various controls and features of TW the user will need to know of; as well as more detailed information sources, especially considering TW's default GettingStarted (and its link to official resources) once removed from the default start up tiddler option becomes lost to normal searching since its a shadow tiddler.  What is planned is more integration, use and referencing of help and reference features already present in TW.
   
    Located in a easily noticed location to be found and referenced during use of the software.

I've noticed that the .18 pre-release has a "help" icon in the main page controls bar which would be prefect for me to attach my help files for my custom applications of TW.  That "help" would also take care of TW's default GettingStarted (and its link to official resources) once removed from the default start up tiddler option becomes lost to normal searching since its a shadow tiddler.  I have tried to utilize what TW already had built into it.

Anyone is free to use this help pages package in entirety or parts of it.

NOTES:
*work in progress
*No color or theme adjustments were done, everything is using theme default TW theme.  Unfortunately, it is not possible for this author to know how this appears with the standard TW theme and palette.
*still in the process of learning formatting and the default TW templates so formatting isn't as polished as I would like it.
*Format and text is still being fine tuned.
*Better integration, use and referencing of help and reference features already present in TW is planned.


Is there a better place to host something like this other in a subdirectory of my domain?

[TonyM]

Barro? (Australian for Barry)

Great to see your work and philosophy here. I have had a quick look and the first thing that struck me is you go strait into explanatory notes about your implementation and not its purpose or scope. Further complicated by a somewhat unusual naming standard Perhaps you could add to the introduction a short - "Introduction"? Perhaps with some of your points you detailed in this post.

In previous discussions we have also noted that since tiddlywiki can address many different requirements sometimes we have to focus on solution areas because especially new users become overwhelmed, because they are not in a position to extrapolate the features into real world applications.

As Far as hosting the traditional route is to use http://tiddlyspot.com/ but those versed in GitHub use that both to serve and accept input.

I could host it for you if you want (at no cost), in a folder or subdomain of colabteam.net like http://www.colabteam.net/tiddlywiki/ which I am yet to develop.

It is a great idea what you are doing and I would suggest building it with two distinct focus areas

• Using tiddly wiki itself (That anyone can use)
• Adding help for the specific edition/application that wiki addresses (this would be nice if it had a standard we could work to)

I like your use of tag pills as simple menus. If it suits you may like the open all plugin that includes the ability to open all tiddlers so tagged from the tag pill menu

http://openall.tiddlyspot.com/

If you have not looked yet tobias has some great documentation on filters and solutions at http://tobibeer.github.io/tb5/#Welcome

Ultimately I think you documentation could be bundled into a plugin available from the default library (under Get More Plugins Button) and documented as available for user "Guidance"

Thanks for your contribution

Regards

Tony

[barro...@gmail.com]

Tony,

Australian for Barry?  Interesting : )  Nah I think the barro is my Google email shortened-- just starting using Google services and hadn't bothered with personalizing my account.  I really don't get involved in things on the Internet so I'll go by anything as long as it ain't bad.  In fact, I believe this group here is the only public interaction I've done for awhile.

Many thanks to you for your suggestions-- always good to have another perspective, especially to notice what I may have missed : )  

I can see how confusing it is that I left the introduction for the customized versions in the Guide section and not separate from the general TW info.  I took the pages straight out of one of custom versions and just modified the top bar with both versions of links and the Guide and Help pages presentation intro and use notes in the Notes tab.  Unfortunately I am short on time for a better presentation (see below).  But I definitely see your point, separate the custom app help from the general TW help (which will make for easier sharing with other TW's).  Having them combined as they are currently probably is confusing things when its viewed away from the custom TW (edition I believe you referred to as).  Definitely will be following that advice.

tb5?  Yes, I'm a regular guest there and shamelessly borrowed Tobias' Markup Reference sheet (gave him credit of course). >> <<  Io boot, I followed the instructions from tb5 about adding to the top bar and I liked the tag pill drop downs he did for his Solutions entries... yes, I'm shameless.  I was looking for other people's general use tutorials to link to as well.

I just got started with TW a few months ago and been in a mad rush to produce some custom apps with it.  So I really haven't had a chance to get familiar with tiddlyspot or GitHub.  Same with plug-ins-- that's why I had Add on? up in the title of my post-- wasn't sure what this would be considered.  Making a plug-in if my work qualifies for such would be the next step to learn once I finish with the writing.

Been thinking upon your hosting offer and it sounds good.   Reason being and why I shown my work before completion (those help pages are unfinished) is I may not get to finish them.  With you hosting them, they'll be out there for anyone in the community to use or take further than I have.

Regards

Tony

[TonyM]

Barro,

I will respond in more detail to above later, but send me a private message with your email address so we can get you hosted, in Sydney, but with cloud flare eventualy, which Caches all over the world.

Tiddlyspot does not suit you?

I will install it on the new php server so once I load it you can update it so we do not need upload every time.

Regards
Tony

[barro...@gmail.com]

Tony,

 with cloud flare eventualy, which Caches all over the world.

amusing you mention world control - see below

 

Tiddlyspot does not suit you?

Don't know, haven't had the time to investigate it.  Been busy playing with TW...

mainly customizations for world building for role playing and video game development

two different versions for a video game development

one, Looking Glass,  for role playing world building, digital role playing interface for presenting game content to players and potentially a browser based game aspect

and 1 as a digital role playing prop, a smart phone scren to display the contents of the "prop/simulated" smart phone for presenting to players as a "piece of evidence" using the zoomin/single tiddler mode

so I had been busy, very busy

unfortunately I didn't finish a version of Looking Glass with the users content removed to show off but here's some screenshots... first at start of game (2 minutes to midnight), 2nd at end game (1 second till midnight) then the follow up closing screen).  The method of the madness is its for a game of conspiracy and world control.  As key countries of continents are marked as control is lost, the continent fills red, when all control is lost-- end game.