Re: [Gnumeric] Screenshots in Gnumeric Docs.

["C. Scott Ananian" <cananian lesser-magoo lcs mit edu>]

On 14 Mar 2002, Kevin Breit wrote:

> I understand the purpose of having a GUI element reference.  I don't
> really think that they are a huge benefit to most users.  I can't recall
> the last time I said "What does this button do!?"  If I do question, you
> have tooltips for the job.

My understanding is that the GUI element reference is linked-to for
context-sensitive help.  I.e. if you need a little more detail about a
dialog than the one-phrase tooltip is going to give you.  As such, it's
not necessarily meant to be read linearly as part of the user docs.
More like an appendix of some sort.

task-oriented descriptions often leave out several of the more obscure
features of a dialog.  if I want to know what the 'in a list' option of
the 'allow criteria' drop down of the 'validation' page of the
format->cells dialog means, with perhaps an example, i want the help
system to jump right there, not to point me to the top of a
length task-oriented description of how to use gnumeric as a gradebook.
And no, you won't find examples of 'in a list' in a tooltip.

> 2) What the outline of the help structure is to be
>
> TOC
> Introduction
> Task Description
> Glossary (optional)
> Index (optional)
appendix: gui element reference.
  --scott

[btw, this is a real example.  i have no fscking clue what the 'in a list'
validation option is supposed to do.  and i've even read the source code.
[all i know from the source is that it's unimplemented. =) ]  as far
as i know there is zip-zero-zilch documentation on this --- unless I
fire up MS excel and ask *it*.  the gui element reference should really
document *every* option of *every* dialog, toolbar, etc.]

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              ( http://lesser-magoo.lcs.mit.edu/~cananian )