I've finished review/edit of the chapter and posted it back on the site.
And sorry folks... just realized didn't return the edited document using
the correct process.
Just found the instructions should have used, link below, and used them.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development#Uploading_a_file_after_a_review
Hope I haven't gummed up the works too badly.
Hi 
Wow!! That was really fast!
I am sure other people can figure out what has happened and fix it. You
are not the first person to have had teething troubles when first joining
this part of any project. Luckily there are people here who have
experience with ODFASuthors and can probably find an easy way to fix it if
there is a problem. I suspect it's ok anyway as ODFAuthors seems like a
good resource that can probably handle all sorts of problems.
Btw you haven't signed the chapter back in on the wiki;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/UserGuideTasks#Status_of_tasks_-WG-_LO_v4.2
Did you do proof-reading or a review? Some of the longer-term members of
the team, such as Hazel, PeeWee, Jean (and so on) make it look easy to do
both at the same time but generally it's probably better to do just 1 or
the other when you first start. Just one of those tasks might be more than
enough for this release anyway. Actually i am going to edit the wiki to
say that you proof-read it but feel free to correct that.
You signed up to do just 1 chapter and you have done a great job with
that. Was it fun or satisfying? Did you enjoy it? How does it feel to be
part of the team?
You have pushed the Writer Guide a good step forwards. Thanks! If
everyone on the Users Mailing List each did 1 chapter then we would soon
have quite a lot of these guides completely finished very quickly. You
have done your fair share so thanks for that. Many people ask how they can
contribute towards the project but don't seem to realise that time spent on
something like what you have just done is more valuable than most monetary
donations. So, thanks for that too!
If you would like to stick around that would be hugely helpful for the
team!
1. There are at least 2 chapters of the Writers Guide still unclaimed;
Chapter 12 about Table-of-Contents and Appendix A about shortcuts. I'm not
sure if someone has started on the Forms chapter
2. It looks like a couple of people who joined the team at the same time
as you are struggling to get started. You might be able to help them
figure it out faster if they are still stuck. You made it look
effortless.
3. Along the same lines as 2 - it might be great if you have any comments
about tricky bits in the documentation for new team-members. The team has
worked hard to make it as easy as possible but has limited resources and
the main focus is on the Published Guides.
4. Now that you are more familiar with how ODFAuthors works and the normal
work-flow a chapter of the Base Handbook might be an interesting
challenge.
5. there are probably numerous other things worth doing but i think the
above 4 are the most urgent.
Personally my preference would be to see items 1 or 2 pushed forwards. Are
you up for it? If not then many thanks for the work you have done as that
has been a good help.
Congrats, thanks and regards from
Tom
Thanks for the compliments Tom. Very kind words. Much appreciated. Since
you've asked so many things, even though it doesn't seem like the
convention in these discussions, I've in line replied below.
I am sure other people can figure out what has happened and fix it. You
are not the first person to have had teething troubles when first joining
this part of any project. Luckily there are people here who have
experience with ODFASuthors and can
I tend to be process oriented. However my first post of the edited chapter
I didn't look back at the process link and just posted based on what seemed
to me the correct selection. Then I read the link and realized I should
have done it different. I've worked with applications based on Domino,
Sharepoint and other host systems that enforce workflow and made the
presumption it would be enforced here. It doesn't seem that's the case here
though.
Btw you haven't signed the chapter back in on the wiki;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/UserGuideTasks#Status_of_tasks_-WG-_LO_v4.2
Thanks for that. Is not something I would have done based on the link I've
been using for guidance.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development#Uploading_a_file_after_a_review
Having said that I've gone back and read the page again, and followed the
in page link to Using the ODF Authors Website
<https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/images/a/a9/Using_odfauthors.odt>. And
in that document I've found the instruction for updating the task status
chart.
Seems I need to create a set of bookmarks to easily refer back to the
process instructions so I can find them easily and stick with the program.
Did you do proof-reading or a review?
Actually I didn't know there is a distinct difference between the terms. I
read the chapter and tried everything that was instructed. Where
instructions didn't work I changed the text to reflect what worked on my
system.
I recalled reading that it would be useful to have Linux screen shots
because of fewer potential issues with copyright and so replaced existing
graphics with the same from Linux. Also there were many figure references
that didn't include the graphic so I added the graphic for those figures.
One graphic, for scope of an add-in, I didn't replace because it wasn't
presented to me. I'm using Ubuntu. My account is basically unprivileged and
gets root authority through sudo. So perhaps that's why the option wasn't
presented. Didn't think to try running sudo soffice until just now to see
if that would cause the scope choice dialog for an add-in to be displayed.
You signed up to do just 1 chapter and you have done a great job with
that. Was it fun or satisfying? Did you enjoy it? How does it feel to be
part of the team?
Been using open source for years now and occasionally have made cash
contributions. Have been looking for something a bit more rewarding and
this qualifies. Plus it was a good opportunity to get an inside look at
more advanced usage of styles. I've never written anything that needed a
ToC, Index, extensive figures with references, etc and this was a good
opportunity to get a look at some of the workings to make that happen.
2. It looks like a couple of people who joined the team at the same time
as you are struggling to get started. You might be able to help them
figure it out faster if they are still stuck. You made it look
effortless.
Just had the time available, some experience with computers, software, etc
and a desire to learn a bit more about the whole process. But thank you.
3. Along the same lines as 2 - it might be great if you have any comments
about tricky bits in the documentation for new team-members4. Now that you
are more familiar with how ODFAuthors works and the normal work-flow a
chapter of the Base Handbook might be an interesting challenge.
For me the biggest things were recognizing where/how to start and what
process to follow. Following after that was how to do any edits in the
document. At first I used the format painter to apply character formating
where I thought it should be. Then realized should check if styles were
applied. Of course they were and so then I tried to make sure every edit I
had already made had correct styles applied.
Referring back to my process orientation it probably would have been easier
for me if the ODFAuthors account creation message included something like...
Please read the following first:
Styles for all elements in the manuals have already been created. Use the
existing styles when creating or editing manual pages. Check this link for
samples showing the styles and where / how they are used.
If you will be creating a new chapter follow the process here...
If you will be editing an existing chapter follow the process here...
I know the link
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development
<https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development#Uploading_a_file_after_a_review>
will provide that if the other links on the page are followed as well.
Something that showed beginning to end for a given function would just have
been easier for me.
And I understand, and can clearly see, lots of people have already
contributed lots of work without the above in place. It's just me and the
way I tend to follow things. You did ask what I think would make it easier
though.
Perhaps better than changing anything would simply be a request in the
ODFAuthors account creation email to "Please read this link, and this link
and this link... to understand the workflow before checking out your first
document to work on." Obviously the way I did it caused extra work of
others. Better to avoid that.
Personally my preference would be to see items 1 or 2 pushed forwards.
Are you up for it? If not then many thanks for theI expect I'll take a stab at some more. Not immediately though. Perhaps
I'll be ready in a month or two. Right now I've got some other things on my
plate that I'm trying to keep moving along too.
-Alan