Changes between Version 8 and Version 9 of GROUP_APP_HELP_R0

Timestamp:

03/31/09 14:58:24 (16 years ago)

Author:

mitex

Comment:

--

GROUP_APP_HELP_R0

@@ -12 +12 @@
  * The help information should be in HTML format and available online. This has the following advantages:
   * quick access from everywhere
-  * easily updateable
+  * easily updateable (fixed wrong help information, adding more information, etc.)
   * easy to create rich text content with text formatting, links, images, menus with JavaScript, etc.
   * searchable by google and other search engines (if we use a Sophie book for the help, this will be hard to achieve)
@@ -18 +18 @@
  * Provide search functionality in the site.
  * Some help content is available at [wiki:ITERATION_06/Release/UserDocumentation].
+
  * Since we'll have different versions of Sophie, for example 2.0, 2.01, 2.1, 2.2, etc., we should support different help content for each of them.
   * In the root directory of the online help information create subdirectory named "2.0".
@@ -23 +24 @@
   * Each subdirectory should contain the whole HTML content (and only the HTML content, because images can be shared). It is error prone to have only the new pages, because HTML pages from a previous version may have links to pages from that old version, instead of the new. (example: 2.0/a.htm, 2.0/b.htm with link to a.htm; 2.1/a.htm, if we use 2.0/b.htm, there is a link to 2.0/a.htm instead of 2.1/a.htm). 
 
- * Help content should be displayed in user's default web browser.
-  * Search for a platform independent way to open the browser.
-  * Another option is to use JEditorPane instead of a browser. It has limited functionality, so the help content on the web site has to be compatible with it.
+ * There are several ways to display the help content. Some of their pros and cons are listed too.
+  * User's default web browser:
+   * Pros: displays all kind of rich content - HTML with JavaScript, flash, CSS, etc.
+   * Impediments: platform dependency
+  * Another option is to use JEditorPane instead of a browser.
+   * Pros: platform independent
+   * Cons: limited functionality, so the help content on the web site has to be compatible with it
   * In future revisions we can use embedded browser.
+  * For this revision it's appropriate to use the user's default web browser.
 
- * The Help menu should contain the following items:
+ * The Help menu in Sophie 2 should contain the following items:
   * &Help Contents - displays the start page of the help information. See the Extensibility section.
   * &Search... - opens the search page in the website.
    * for next revisions it will be good to have a Help tab similar to the Search tab - search box and list of results.
   * &Web site - opens the official website of Sophie 2 in the default web browser.
-  * As&k for Help... - opens a web page (forum, wiki, etc.) where the user can ask anything about the program or propose enhancements. This is related with the next section - the bug report form.
+  * As&k for Help... - opens a web page (web form, forum, wiki, etc.) where the user can ask anything about the program or propose enhancements. This is related with the next section - the bug report form.
   * Send an &Error Report... - opens the bug report form (see [wiki:APP_BUG_REPORT_FORM_R0]).
   * (separator)
   * &About - displays the about dialog window.
   * in next revisions: Check for &Updates.
-  * (& means that the following letter will be underlined and used as a keyboard shortcut).
+  * ("&" means that the following letter will be underlined and used as a keyboard shortcut).
 
  * Extensibility
   * Modules should be able to attach help entries.
-  * Create a module org.sophie2.main.help.
   * Each Sophie module can provide (if appropriate) an extension with help information. This extension may contain:
    * URL of the help information of the module.
     * Can point to the sophie website
     * Third-party modules can use their vendor's website, or local directory with help files.
-   * Help contents entry. For example, the main.view.menus module can provide an entry with id=menus and title="Menus".
+   * Help contents entries. For example, the {{{org.sophie2.main.view.menus module}}} can provide an entry with id="main.view.menus.file" and title="File Menu".
   * When selecting "Help Contents" in the Help menu, a content page is generated.
    * The entries are gathered from each module's help extension.
    * The generated page is in HTML format
    * The page is created in the TEMP directory. Do not forget to delete it after closing the window.
-   * The page cam consist of a frameset with left frame - the generated menu, and right frame - the remote help page that is invoked by clicking on a menu entry.
+   * The page can consist of a frameset with left frame - the generated menu, and right frame - the remote help page that is invoked by clicking on a menu entry.
    * We should use locally generated help contents menu instead of the website's help index page, because each Sophie installation may have different plugins installed.
 
@@ -76 +81 @@
 
 == Implementation idea ==
+ 
+ * Create a module {{{org.sophie2.main.help}}}.
+  * Create the menu and menu items.
+  * Create a method that displays a web page, specified by a URL.
+
  * For the browser:
   * browse(URI) in java.awt.Desktop can be used.
@@ -84 +94 @@
   * Currently AboutDialog just calls OldAboutDialog.
   * Use setUndecorated(true) in JFrame to remove the about dialog window border.
-  * Add mouse listener.
+  * Add mouse listener so the window can be closed with a mouse click.
 
 == Related ==
@@ -96 +106 @@
  * Show the Help menu
  * Open the contents
+ * Close them, then show the About dialog
 
 = Design =