Dizkus

Making a cup of tea is simple enough for those making it for themselves. But when you make one for someone else then comes the problems.

PostNuke over the years has seen major progress and improvements. I have had break from PostNuke over the last couple of years when it forked from phpnuke. I have run a community site with PostNuke since 0.7.1.4 version. I recall my frustration in the lack of documentation in the early days. This prompted me build a web site phpnukes.co.uk a sort of blog commentary on my learning progress of PostNuke. I think I had in mind a reference manual for beginners. But like all computer related published books everything was out of date within a year.

This brings me back to the tea I was making. How do you go about making a manual for making a cup of tea. In its basic form
Hot water in a tea cup using a tea bag submerged for a couple of seconds. Drink!

But, as you know a different way you add your method to the manual and then we allow others to add their versions before long we have a complicated process to suit an individual tea drinker. I feel PostNuke is very simular community individuals want different things from PostNuke. The CMS out of the box for me was ideal as a webmaster PostNuke turned out being the best option.

The key problem remains today poor documentation on core coding and user friendly tutorials. This also applys to all CMS. I think the problem is how developers work. Modification made to the core for security reasons may only affect one flat file. To the user documentation on this would be pointless but to a hacker another story.

This brings me to the final point. The user reference manual is just as important as the code development. version 8 hopefully will address a comprehensive manual. So the user can convert their PostNuke closer like their favorite cup of tea.

I think this is a good suggestion and the core team will certainly support you work. We really need a manual that explains most of the all the basic principles of content management systems in general and PostNuke in particular. Will you use the Wiki, or are you planning on something else?

--
best regards from Kiel, sailing city

Steffen Voss

Member of the PostNuke Steering Committee
Read The Zikulan's Blog

I have made one attempt alone and this has proved fruitless. The developers should make documentary records and publish and keep the Wiki up to date. This time I would have thought the Wiki is the best option. A central accessable area. But may need four Wiki's
1) New Users Manual - focusing on the administrator of a PostNuke, or new commers
2) Webmaster Manual - Installation, Upgrading, Modules, Themes, Blocks that an administrator could not handle
3) Advanced Manual - Detailed reference on building a theme, module, block and security
4) Developer Manual - The Core of hard coding of PostNuke - I would like to reference which function was last developed and dated

I will have another look at Wiki but I have a feeling that we would need to go towards a directory navigation

1) New User Manual - Introduction, features and system requirements - Installation - Upgrading - Modules - Themes - Blocks -
these directories will hold information and tutorials for quick reference. Let's take Themes for example.
THEMES/INTRODUCTION
/INSTALLING THEMES
/CUSTOMISING THEMES
/MODIFYING THEMES
/BUILDING A NEW THEME/INTRODUCTION
/TEMPLATES
/XANTHIA
/AUTOTHEMES

/TROUBLE SHOOTING

I would also like the option of discussion with a forum link. Ideal for picking up errors or simple typo errors.

The only issue is how much of a change will version 8 be? Do I wait until the launch?



edited by: dp2, Apr 06, 2007 - 11:36 AM

Hope no one minds me adding my POV?

The most important one of the four above is the "New Users Manual", especially if you want a better uptake of PN. New users simply don't have a clue, and they need somewhere that gives the basics of administrating a site: what a block is, etc etc.

The advanced and developers manuals would be useful, but I don't think these should be a priority; the source is very well documented, and it's easy enough to find functions you want, and learn how to code things by looking at core modules and value addons.

Good luck!

I agree with ntward. If we want PN to spread out, we need to make it easier for newcomers. I'd gladly help doing this!
More users, more developers, more modules. But then we really need to gather the knowledge and document the standards to make sure that we don't loose the mass when a new version surfaces!

--
Cars are afraid of trains...

Userfriendly design based on open source CMS PostNuke at www.eid.dk

Also I would think that it is very important in the new installation to ensure the all our documentation also meet w3c requirements for accessible that is one of PN's strengths that I myself blind have found over any of the other CMS's and we want to keep that as a tradition.

You are welcome to update and extend the Wiki documentation - there's a fairly good start there. I'd encourage you to base any new documentation on .8, since .7x documentation will shortly be out of date and many many things have changed between .7x and .8. In future, we plan to add some sort of export so you can download the contents of the Wiki and read it offline/print it.

Also, you can service both experienced and new users in the Wiki - your average user won't be interested in template overrides at first, so aim that at advanced users, while anyone not experienced with PN will be using the install guide which you can make a bit more basic.

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Regards,
Simon

itbegins.co.uk - Zikula Consulting

Please read the Support Guide

I would also be willing to volunteer whatever time I have to writing some stuff. I am really on a novice, but I have built several websites using PostNuke and will definetly be able to assist in the "new users" category.

That is great to hear Scott and any suggestions/guidance and feedback from you in this area will be much appreciated.

--

iThinkMedia.com

Follow me on Twitter

I would be happy to help write some things also. When version 0.8 is up and running and I have moved over to it, I will try to start contributing.

I have added to Wiki a user guide for Xanthia.
For those who wish to help maybe you could proof read this and edit if needed.

Regarding images on Wiki I have linked images - ideally theses should be hosted on PostNuke. Is this available or could PostNuke
copy and modify.