Subject:
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Re: LDraw.org Tutorials - Categorization, Storage, Indexing, etc...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad.dev.org.ldraw
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Date:
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Mon, 11 Feb 2002 05:22:41 GMT
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Viewed:
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366 times
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"Michael Horvath" <mikehorvath@juno.com> wrote in message
news:GrCL99.n5B@lugnet.com...
> I thought it would be a good idea if the tutorials were available for
> download in Microsoft Help format. I slapped one up onto the web as an
> example. Check it out. Here's the URL:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/3864/mhelp.htm
>
> I also thought that writing tutorials to fit in Microsoft Help would be a
> good trainer for those writing tutorials for the web.
Interesting thought, but I would *much* rather see these formatted to Adobe PDF
first if we're exporting them off of the site at all. In fact, I think PDF is a
good idea. Microsoft Help is proprietary, PDF is viewable across platforms.
Eventually I'd like to see the tutorials exported in some sort of portable
format, for potential inclusion on a CD, etc. Right now the goal is for me to
get the tutorials up and write the HTML guide - there are several I have in my
inbox, but I can't promise anything until after BricksWest, just too busy
preparing for that.
We'll also discuss a lot of this among the people who come to the LDraw
Community Roundtable discussions at BW.
> Here are some other ideas I have regarding the LDraw.org site.
>
> Forget the class 101 thing. It gives me a headache. I'm already in school,
> I don't need to be reminded...
I think its a great and appropriate organization system. I'm in school too, by
the way :-)
> The categories "Reference" and "Documentation" should be reversed. A
> tutorial is much more a constituent of documentation, and specification is
> much more a constituent of reference, etc. Also, I think specifications and
> glossary should fit under reference (after the reversal).
I'd don't want to divide that section further. One top level and break it into
the categories holding the data.
I think of it like going to a reference section in a library. That's where
you'd find a dictionary (glossary for LDraw), statistics, even help (reference
desk) on using the library.
The name 'Documentation' really is limited to 'Software Documentation' ie. the
readme files and such. Maybe it should say that?
> You could create a list of words that need defining, and post it on the web,
Are you referring to the Glossary? If so, I racked my brain and asked a few
others for input. So, if anyone has additions to the Glossary, please add them
here.
> under the "We're Looking for These Tutorial Topics:" section, maybe.
That'll be the future Tutorial Tracker, and I think Ahui is taking upon himself
to be the unofficial (perhaps could be official...) Tutorial Manager Guy (TM).
So, he's the one taking care of the Tutorial Tracker from the impression I get.
Glossary topics needed to be defined and Tutorials needed to be written are two
separate things.
> Then
> people can define these words, one by one. Maybe not everyone has time to
> complete a whole tutorial as a contribution, but I bet more people would be
> willing to contribute glossary terms, one by one.
Yeah. But, lets keep it separate...glossary, tutorials, two different things.
I'm surprised and very pleased at the responses I've gotten for tutorials so
far!
> You could also include a
> form at the bottom of each tutorial, stating "Which of these words did you
> not understand?". The visitor could then enter a word, or a series of words
> separated by a comma, into a form box. The results could then be output
> into another text page.
Good idea. It would be nice eventually to have a tutorial review form field,
where people can leave comments, and a user ranking system for reviews ie. 'Did
you find this review useful?' etc, so the good reviews float to the top.
Its good to get all of these ideas down for future developments.
> Also, if the glossary were <A HREFFED> we could correlate each occurance of
> a term with its analogue in the glossary, respectively. This would aid in
> organizing our term content, and help those who are looking for more
> information.
Good idea! I wanted to have a lot of this stuff cross-linked ideally, but I'm a
non-programmer and doing it by hand would be a bear. 1) I'm gonna buckle down
and learn programming stuff soon, but 2) it won't come in enough of a timely
manner, so some other programmer might have to step up in the mean time.
So, for tutorials, I/we should:
1) Organize the Tutorials section into the categories Ahui defined, and also
split each tutorial entry into its own numbered subdirectory within that. (me)
2) Convert the tutorials I have in my inbox. (me)
3) Publish a guide to writing HTML for LDraw.org pages. (me)
4) Discuss future extension of features on Tutorial pages (Glossary
cross-linking, reviews/ratings of tutorials, Tutorial Tracker, etc) (we)
5) Discuss and format tutorials for export in PDF format.
The neat thing about the way the LDraw.org HTML pages are constructed is - the
body text is its own include file. So you get a file for the body with just
paragraph, link, and image tags versus any formatting. Some pages have single
tables around the includes, but I will be changing that as I modify pages so
evnetually all pages on the server's bodies will be a separate minimal HTML
include file.
Wow! Since the site release we've been going full speed ahead on LDraw.org
stuff AND on development stuff with LCD and the recent Mac stuff (way to go Mac
guys!!).
I know I'm touting BricksWest a lot, but I'm so psyched about it! It will be a
lot of fun to talk to a bunch of LDraw enthusiasts in person and chat about the
future of the system, also, will be a blast to do the demonstrations. I'm also
planning a demonstration at LEGOLAND for the park guests, which will be
advertised. So if they're non BricksWest attendees, or miss my (advertised)
session at the hotel, they can still catch us at the park.
-Tim
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