should we package sample files for intro chapters/Diving In and the tutorials with the release?
I found a separate place (“Download”-“Examples”)…
What do you think?
Anyhow: I think we should provide the samples from the doc at some place!
Agree?
I think so. Good idea.
Honestly I prefer to have all the sample files from the documentation (wiki) in a separate package (like that one). The reasons for that:
- Do not force to all people to download all the files if they don’t want. Modularize is a must in the package system
- It is easier to keep up to date a separated package rather than wait until a new release to get an updated documentation. I hope that documentation should be updated more frequently than from one release to other.
- A place to provide docs sample files is this one: download.tuxfamily.org/synfig/ At the moment only zelgadis and I have admin rigts on the tuxfamily services but there is not reason to give it to other one who wants to help on keep it updated.
Besides that, I understand that the user will continue having the sample files needed for each doc article, at hand, just like a link at the proper place of the article… or I am missing something?
Examples are not related to any doc article. They are just historical examples of what can be done with the software and they are bundled with the package depending on the packager preferences (in windows is packaged in and in some linux distros it is just a separated package). I think that we can do the same with the doc’s sample files if needed/wanted.
Err… Other thing is that we prepare a set of basic starting up documents in pdf/odt format with its corresponding sample files in a separated package. It would be very good for people with no posibility of internet connection 100% of the time.
Cheers
-G
Well, let’s first try to get all doc up-to-date and then I’d be happy to have it updated each time we have a new version, but anyhow, I do agree, let’s decouple!
As for the admins on webspace: fine with me (2 is enough).
Then: yes, we’re discussing samples that accompany the docs.
The existing examples file is different and ok as it is.
That’s a separate discussion, we should get this for free from the docs development we are currently working on.
We are discussing a more “Newbie” oriented documentation right now, see other Forum threads like here.
Yes, I like the idea to have separate package for documentation samples.
The question is where to store them? In the wiki? In separate git repository?
I think wiki is easier for users, but git is easier to maintain. If we will go with the wiki, then we should put all sample files in particular category. If we will go wih git, then we can create a forum thread “Documentation samples updates” so people who aren’t familiar with git can drop files there and admins will commit them.
Thoughts?
So, if the idea is to bundle all the sample files of the documentation (manual basic chapters or all of them) in a separate package, I think it will confuse more to the users. Let me explain:
Imagine that a newbie starts reading the manual from the begining. He follows the first basic tutorial which ends in a file as result of the tutorial. He is so lazy and just go straigth to the file result. Usually there is a link in the wiki to the file result, so, why do he need to download all the package, remember where he unpacked it, or known where it was automatically unpacked, and then search the folder structure to open the sample file? Isn’t easier to just have the link to the file in place.
Or it is supposed that he is reading the manual off line and doesn’t have inmediate access to internet?
I’m missing the point of having a package of all the sample files together if the scenario is like I mentioned. Or there is a different scenario?
Please enlighten me 
-G
Genete,
you’re right for working with the online wiki.
I was already thinking of having the docs (at least partially) as PDFs as well.
So, let’s discuss this further when we talk about offline docs.
Yeah, the package for offline readers. And I’m thinkin of sample files not not as “done tutorials”, but as “initial data for working on tutorial”. I.e. if tutorial says “import SVG image” -then provide that image. If it says “import character splitted to parts for cutout animation”, then provide those images too…
Good point, like to have that as well!
Often it is even a set of tutorials or tutorial steps and it helps to provide the starting file for the next step which is also the result of the one before…
When I do tutorials I also like to be able to get the results. Sometimes I do not understand the tutorial instructions entirely. In these cases analyzing the completed task sometimes helps a lot.