Re: gEDA-user: plugins (was: How can you help...)

[Kai-Martin Knaak <kmk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DJ Delorie wrote:

>> I still have to decide, where to start. An overview? A getting
>> started? A HOWTO? A table of contents to be filled?
> 
> Based on what kinds of questions I tend to answer in irc and email, I
> think the relative priority should be:
> 
> * Introductory tutorials that demonstrate the most common flows,

IMHO, this should not be plural. That is, a getting started should
decide for one work-flow and stick with it. A reader should not feel
the necessity to decide between options before he/she can grasp the 
consequences. On the other hand, the flexibilities should not be 
completely hidden, either. 
How about this: 
Redo the toy task of the getting-started with different work-flows.


>   showing off the most current and 

I'd say, tutorials are not a place to show off, but to teach.
(Mayby I am overly picky with words...)


>   newbie-friendly ways of using the tools.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Here comes the hard part: "What exactly is newbie-friendly?"
Is it a step-by-step walk through a minimum manual set-up of a project?
Or is a scripted set-up wich results in a full fledged project dir
complete with local configs and makefiles? Both have their pros and cons.


> * How-to's for tasks which are less common, showing off the "toolkit"
>   features.

I like to imagine this in the form of show-casing real world projects
which demonstrate how specific tasks can be achieved. Ideally, the 
show-cases would include source files at different stages. Topics for
advanced use:
* drawing symbols
* creating footprints manually on PCB canvas
* creating footprints with the various generators
* scripted printing
* use of makefiles
* a self contained project dir
* simple hierarchy
* hierarchy with sub sheets used several times
* layout with repetative portions
* source control with git


Additional items:

* A vademecum of keyboard accels, actions, file formats and important 
command line options. This is kind of a reference manual light.

* the history of geda, gaf, pcb, etc.

* getting started with simulation (unfortunately, I am a complete noob
for this)


> * Replacements for the reference manuals.

Reference manuals should be comprehensive, accurate and reflect the
status of a specific version. Overall style and readability are
less a concern. This calls for tight coupling to the source and
inclusion in the make tool chain. 
The concept of collaborative online editing does not mix well
with such a scripted approach. It is part of the source and 
should be treated as such.

 
> * Internals docs for new developers.

This is clearly a task for core developers and way beyond 
the scope of what I intend to start.

Anyway, I wouldn't sort the priority of these documents in any 
specific order. All of them are vital for the project -- each 
in a different way. 

---<)kaimartin(>---
-- 
Kai-Martin Knaak
Email: kmk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://pool.sks-keyservers.net:11371/pks/lookup?search=0x6C0B9F53
Moderation of geda-user seems to be lifted, lately. I am still 
unhappy with it. Why? Because it is completely nontransparent.



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