Wanted: Volunteers to Update the Sigil User's Guide

[KevinH]

For those of you that like and use Sigil and would like to help out but are not C++ developers, we are looking for people to help update the Sigil User's Guide epub from the 0.7.2 version up to the upcoming Sigil-0.9.0 version.

I am simply a horrible writer (all of my research paper co-authors tell me this!) so I could really use the help. I think most of the guide/manual will not have to be updated as there are only a few new user gui changes. The few new user features include:

- how to set the Preserve Entities Preferences
- how to Manage (install, and remove) plugins and select your Python Engine
- the fact that FlightCrew is now a plugin

So let us know if you are willing to lend an hour or two updating the Sigil User manual.

In case anyone want to get a quick start, I have attached the latest version below.

Thanks,

KevinH

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by KevinH

For those of you that like and use Sigil and would like to help out but are not C++ developers, we are looking for people to help update the Sigil User's Guide epub from the 0.7.2 version up to the upcoming Sigil-0.9.0 version.

I am simply a horrible writer (all of my research paper co-authors tell me this!) so I could really use the help. I think most of the guide/manual will not have to be updated as there are only a few new user gui changes. The few new user features include:

- how to set the Preserve Entities Preferences
- how to Manage (install, and remove) plugins and select your Python Engine
- the fact that FlightCrew is now a plugin

So let us know if you are willing to lend an hour or two updating the Sigil User manual.

In case anyone want to get a quick start, I have attached the latest version below.

Thanks,

KevinH

Hi:

I may suck at explaining some things, but generally, I'm a decent writer. Is there something I can do to assist? if there's anyone here who wants to contribute, and can say "do x to make y happen," I can do the prettifying of the text and screenshots, etc. ??

Hitch

[Arios]

A simple start might be to identify in the Dave Heiland document the missing items and see where new features might be best placed.

Calling all could could be useful, here's mine (really not exhaustive; bold = new items):

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction

What’s New
Changes in 0.9 include:
About Sigil
About EPUB

Installation
Features

User Interface
Preferences
Opening and Saving Files
Book View
Code View
Preview
Book Browser
Metadata
Add Cover
Table of Contents
Validation
Spellcheck
Images, Video, Audio
Special Characters
Splitting and Merging
Find & Replace
Saved Searches
Clips
Clipboard History
Links and IDs
Styles
Indexes
Reports
External Editors
Python modules

Tutorials

Getting Started With EPUB
Prepare Your File For Sigil
Open Your File With Sigil
Save Your EPUB File
Add the Author and Title
Add a Cover Image
Create Files For Each Chapter
Identify Your Chapters
Generate A Table of Contents
Create Links and Notes
A Quick Introduction To Code View
Check For Spelling Mistakes
Check For Errors In Your EPUB
Edit With Find & Replace
Use Stylesheets
Include Custom Fonts
Advanced Find & Replace – Regex
Regular Expression Reference
Sigil plugin framework
Tips

FAQ

Common Questions
Where to Get Help
Using Sigil
Formatting and Styles

Contributing to Sigil

Python plugins

PS Hitch, I don't want to look as the teacher's pet, but you write very well indeed and your prose is often very funny, even your rants.

[KevinH]

Hi All,

I have already started trying to update things and have removed lots of material at the front related to the Changes made for each version. That materials seemed a lot like filler and will be constantly changing.

So tonight when I get back from my real job, I will post the update with just the few changes I have made so far.

Thanks again!

Kevin

[theducks]

On Change log type items:

IMHO Keep some, in a (back) section: Sigil for Previous version Sigil users.

This is for those who KNEW how to use Sigil, but the old way has been changed.
eg. BV editing, Tidy. Features that now do previous manual only tasks (includes available PI tips). eg. Bulk rename-number files

[KevinH]

Hi theDucks,
All of that information will be available in the old User's Manual (we'll keep it to document all earlier releases) as well as in the online Sigil ChangeLog.txt, so perhaps just a link to the github site ChangeLog would suffice. I would like to stream ine the User's Manual as much as possible to minimize upkeep and maintenance while still helping newcomers figure out how to use Sigil.

Thanks!

KevinH

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Arios

A simple start might be to identify in the Dave Heiland document the missing items and see where new features might be best placed.<snippage for brevity>

PS Hitch, dont want to appear like the teacher's pet, but you write very well indeed and your prose is often very funny, even your rants.

Uh...well, thanks? And TEACHER'S PET? (Only objecting to the appellation as it's applied to moi, not you.) No, no, you'd have to be sucking up to the real brains around here. I'm just de paper-pusher for the real brains at my shop, too.

However, that being said, THANKS! I mean it.

And I'm genuinely happy to pitch in and write for Sigil. Especially for anyone who wants to scribble stuff, I can tweak it. And take screenshots. Anything I can do, I'll do.

Hitch

[KevinH]

Hi Hitch et. al.

I have posted a updated copy of the User's manual in the first thread along with some screen captures that show the plugin_manager in the upcoming Sigil-0.9.0 version. I just edited file by file up to just after the "What's New" file. As you can see I did not get far.

Please feel free to make any changes you want in any way you want.

Thanks so much for volunteering to help.

KevinH

[Arios]

Kevin, what process do you suggest?

Perhaps the contributions could overlap without some process?

@ Hitch. Oops! I forgot the "I". Sorry for the mismatch, in addition I put an extra "could" in my post. Grrrr, I'm not going to write for the manual

[KevinH]

Hi,

My thoughts were in two passes:

First pass, since the vast majority of the information is unchanged, simply proceed file by file to edit out of date references to 0.7.2 / Tidy etc and, if more than simple editing is needed, I would mark the spot with the string ****FIXME****.

Second pass, fill in the ****FIXME**** pieces creating any new material/chapters.


I was working my way through pass 1 slowly. Just trying to update things. I had not yet had to insert a ****FIXME*** anyplace, so far. I was trying to do one file per day in pass one to keep things simple. But with enough volunteers, you could split up the assignments across files (chapters) and do pass one in parallel.

But, please feel free to do it any way you like.

Thanks,

KevinH

[KevinH]

Hi Arios,

One other thought after studying your outline. I have a second epub manual written for plugin developers. I would like to see all of the technical material about writing or creating plugins, kept in that manual, and not in the general User's guide.

All the User's guide should do is talk about the plugins in general, maybe link to MR's Sigil Plugin Index thread, and talk about how you manage plugins using Preferences (add, and remove, using the embedded python interpreter, etc, and finally, how you launch and run a plugin (images of the PluginRunner Dialog running maybe).

All plugin developer stuff will be kept in the developer's Plugin Frameworks epub, instead.

Thanks!

KevinH

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Hi Arios,

One other thought after studying your outline. I have a second epub manual written for plugin developers. I would like to see all of the technical material about writing or creating plugins, kept in that manual, and not in the general User's guide.

All the User's guide should do is talk about the plugins in general, maybe link to MR's Sigil Plugin Index thread, and talk about how you manage plugins using Preferences (add, and remove, using the embedded python interpreter, etc, and finally, how you launch and run a plugin (images of the PluginRunner Dialog running maybe).

All plugin developer stuff will be kept in the developer's Plugin Frameworks epub, instead.

Thanks!

KevinH

I'm seconding this idea. For those of us that don't write plug-ins, that bit could really kill off a beginner. :-)

Hitch

[Arios]

I also agree with you both: a simple link to the "Sigil plugin framework" epub would be perfect.

[xingenter]

Hi Kevin,

I downloaded the version of the User Guide in this thread and did some basic updates. I changed versions to 0.9.7, corrected a few typos I found and added both sets of building on Linux HTML docs as new chapters. I changed the TOC to reflect the new additions.

What I DIDN'T do is update the all-important Validation section or add details about plugins. I'm not all that au fait with them yet.

I didn't mention myself anywhere except as a contributor in the ePub's metadata. I hope that is OK.

Even so, I hope my contribution is a step forward.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by evilmrb

I downloaded the version of the User Guide in this thread and did some basic updates.

Unfortunately, you didn't use my updated version to implement your changes. Can you please grab my updated version and re-implement your changes?

Also while you're at it could you please add the regex corrections suggested by CalibUser in this post?

Thanks!

@Diapdealer: Could you please create a user guide sticky so that volunteers can easily find the most recent version?