Why this proposal
The wiki is an invaluable source for everybody interested in OFbiz. But it is like weed, without gardening it grows in every direction. The result is a big bunch of pages (545 to be precise) without a clear structure or status of the individual pages and related content scattered accross spaces.
This proposal has two purposes: reorganize the current content and provide directions to contribute.
The attached PDF and Mindmap can be used to facilitate the process. The Mindmap was created using FreeMind.
This is a living document so feel free to add your opinions, improvements or insights straight to this page or add comments
Step1 - Set up clear categories
It should be clear to everybody where to find and store information.
Some ideas for main categories:
- Installation & Configuration Guide
- Adminstrators Guide
- Adminstrators FAQ (or HOWTO)
- Users Guide
- Developers Guide
- Developers FAQ (or HOTWO)
- Collaboration (Proposals, Plans, Roadmap)
- Help
- News
- Events
- Service Providers
- Project team
- ...
Step 2 - Set up Wiki Guidelines
Create a page with wiki guidelines and best practices.
Some ideas:
- Limit the amount of document levels and only make sub-pages when page get too long
- Use the the children tag
- Have instructions for multiple versions or platforms on a single page to make it easier to maintain
- Remove comments when they have been incorportated into the page
- Use labels for example to set the status of the document (Draft/Final) and the releases that it's applicable to (Release4, Release9.04, Trunk)
- Prepend or postpend the title of the page like "ESME Integration Proposal" or "Howto install Ofbiz on Websphere"
- Insert a thumbnail of the image into the page (only works with images that are attached to the page). Users can click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized image.
- Update or move documents when it is outdated (a proposal has become a feature) and provide a link to the corresponding page
- Invite people to participate and apply for a login with edit rights
- Provide templates for recurring types of pages
- How to link
- Markup tips
- ...
Step 3 - Move pages
Move pages to the right categories and check them against the guidelines. Add labels to qualify the status of the content.
Step 4 - Create Index pages
Provide clear directions for different audiences in one or more index pages. We have to identfy what the audiences are and what they are looking for.
Step 5 - Bring pages up to standards.
This is a continuous process
People willing to contribute
- Jeroen van der Wal
- Carsten Schinzer
- Jacques Le Roux (but not for the moment...priorities...)
4 Comments
Jacques Le Roux
One thing I want to do for a good period of time now is to continue the work of Scot Wilcoson on Main New Features (see comments)
This is most needed because we have no updated clear New Features page. The more we wait, the more difficult it will be...
Michael Brohl
This page is a good basis for a Wiki guideline after the restructure. Moved to Wiki access for now.
Jacques Le Roux
About my comment above: your effort with the monthly blog post is a kind of continuation of Main New Features but we still miss a clear "OFBiz features page", not sure we will ever have one...
Pierre Smits
I am inclined to agree with Jacques. Nothing will happen without (individual) commitment.