[Gimp-docs] built-in and online user manual format deficiencies

[Ulf-D. Ehlert]

Boris Epstein (Mittwoch, 1. April 2009, 14:52):
> We are using GIMP 2.4 on OpenSuSE Linux 10.3. Recently, to our great
> surprise, we discovered that:
>
> 1) Both the online and the built-in version of the user manual lacks
> the  search function. That is rather peculiar because to the best of
> my recollection it was there in the previous versions.

There was no search function for the gimp-help package shipped with SuSE 
Linux 9.3 (as far as I remember), and according to

	 http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=152987

it looks like there was no search function for several years.

> 2) The built-in manual (GIMP Help Browser) lacks proper titles for
> many chapters, displaying "???TITLE???" instead.

Then you are using an old gimp-help version. This has been (partially) 
fixed one year ago.
I have just checked my help files, there are still a few (sic!) "FIXME 
TITLE" titles, but no "???TITLE???".

> There are also other miscellaneous problems of lesser significance
> but the issues mentioned  above are major and make using the help
> facility barely possible.

Really? Of course, a search function would be really helpful, but there 
is a table of contents and a huge index, both making the manual at 
least usable - far from "using barely possible". Using toc and index is 
the way you would work with a printed manual, BTW.

> I am just wondering if there is a plan to fix that.

Generating help titles should be fixed (before the next release?).

Don't know if we (who - documenters or developers?) should try to add a 
search function...

> ..., and it is a shame that the user manual/help facility's
> shortcomings get in the way of a quality user experience.

Hmm, "a shame" - that's a bit rude, isn't it?

Bye,
Ulf
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 197 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part.
Url : /lists/gimp-docs/attachments/20090402/85862f61/attachment.bin