[PATCH 1/2] Add a help button to every Anaconda screen

Martin Kolman mkolman at redhat.com
Mon Sep 1 12:21:48 UTC 2014


On Wed, 2014-08-27 at 11:38 -0400, Anne Mulhern wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Vratislav Podzimek" <vpodzime at redhat.com>
> > To: "anaconda patch review" <anaconda-patches at lists.fedorahosted.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2014 10:43:58 AM
> > Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] Add a help button to every Anaconda screen
> > 
> > On Wed, 2014-08-27 at 10:36 -0400, Anne Mulhern wrote:
> > > > > Actually,
> > > > > 
> > > > > I think that, ideally, we would store all this data in an sqlite
> > > > > database, rather than in separate files in separate directories.
> > > > > We would do the same for the CLI help text, now that it
> > > > > has gotten so mature, and we would be able to use _exactly_ the
> > > > > same database schema for both, since, at least in theory, CLI
> > > > > help text should be available in any language.
> > > > > 
> > > > > However, we would have to handle version control of the structure
> > > > > of the database and also its contents.
> > > > > 
> > > > > It might be that adding an sqlite dependency to anaconda
> > > > > is not so attractive to some.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Also, I don't know how translation is expected to work with the
> > > > > contents of databases.
> > > > > 
> > > > > So maybe this idea is a bit too ambitious. But now is as good
> > > > > a time to think about it as any.
> > > > I don't think we need such a big-hammer approach. Using directories for
> > > > translations is really common and not so hard.
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > "too ambitious" is my way of saying using a database would be
> > > harder but also the kind of thing you might see in a more mature
> > > application.
> > > I don't think there's any question that using directories for this
> > > problem is the path of least resistance. A lot of the hardness
> > > of using the database might however be due to unfamiliarity and novelty,
> > > rather than anything really fundamental. IMHO, we should consider
> > > not taking the path of least resistance occasionally, i.e., doing
> > > something unfamiliar and novel and hence a bit difficult for us at the
> > > time,
> > > especially as technologies mature and the path of least resistance turns
> > > inexorably into the stuff that everybody used to do before the
> > > clever ones learned a better way. On the other hand, I'm certainly
> > > willing to be persuaded that right now is not a good time to choose
> > > to try to break out of this particular rut.
> > > 
> > > Is it the case that the CLI help text should, at least in theory,
> > > be translatable?
> > I don't think the CLI options' (--ks=, --keyboard=, etc.) help text will
> > ever be translated. But the text mode and GUI help texts (for earch
> > "screen") should be. The same applies to ransom notes and license
> > agreement.
> 
> Well, given that and given that dcantrell has opened the door to at least
> some form of TUI help, I'ld like to ask mkolman to hold onto his current GUI
> help patches a bit longer, while it is considered how they'ld relate to the rest
> of the multi-language stuff and help text.
Actually I don't think the GUI help is very related to any future TUI
help patch set as both the means of presentation (yelp VS less) and
content (modified installation guide docbook files VS plaintext content
for TUI) are pretty much separate and self contained. The only possible
collision might be the paths where the help files are stored,
but that could be tweaked later as we & the documentation people own
both the program using the help content (Anaconda) and the help provider
(Installation guide) if needed.

So I think the GUI part of the built-in help system should not wait for
the TUI part and be pushed as soon as possible, so that we can finally
start gathering feedback, fixing bugs, deciding final help button design
and placement, making it easy for the documentation people to try it
out, etc.

> 
> - mulhern
> 
> > 
> > --
> > Vratislav Podzimek
> > 
> > Anaconda Rider | RHCE | Red Hat, Inc. | Brno - Czech Republic
> > 
> > 
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