Closed (duplicate)
Project:
Documentation
Component:
Placement and navigation
Priority:
Normal
Category:
Feature request
Assigned:
Unassigned
Reporter:
Created:
5 Oct 2008 at 19:48 UTC
Updated:
12 Oct 2008 at 14:32 UTC
I just answered a support question at the forums regarding theming. The user was referring to the theme guide for Drupal 5 when he actually needs a guide for D6.x. Right now, if a user is in a theming guide for a particular Drupal version , he/she does not see that there is an available guide for another version. I propose to have a landing page for "Theming Guides" that links to guides for present and future Drupal versions. IMO, The two existing guides should be in this handbook and should be seen in the Book Navigation block on the left.
AFAIK, all handbooks have landing pages except the "Theming Guides" handbook
Comments
Comment #1
Wolfflow commented+1
Well, I'm always for simplifying the efforts of Visitors and Members for looking to find the right source for what they are looking for. So I find this a good Idea.
Comment #2
johnnocAfter looking at this issue meticulously, it seems that a redesign of the theming handbook is more appropriate task for this. At present, theme guides for Drupal 6 and 5 and earlier versions are separate handbooks. It is not consistent with the organization of other handbooks. It seems that Drupal 6 theme guide is the Theming Handbook. IMO, the theming handbook should have general info on Drupal theming with sub-pages for specific versions. If the top-level theming handbook is version specific, then we have to redesign/rewrite the handbook whenever a new major version gets released. So I propose a top-level handbook page (landing page) for consistency, better organization and forward thinking. Also, creating a top-level handbook page for theming opens up possibilities of creating sub landing pages on other theme related info like best practices, tips and tricks, etc.
The proposed organization of the redesign of Theming Guides handbook as I see it:
Theming Guide (probably change the title? merge info from http://drupal.org/node/221881)
I can take this responsibility if we want to go to this direction.
Comment #3
heather commentedthat sounds like an excellent improvement. i also find that whole section very confusing.
i'm on board and i have time this week to pitch in, if you want to start.
Comment #4
johnnocWell... my fingers are itching already and we can start now, but... since this is a redesign of a (top-level) handbook, I think we should wait a bit and hear about opinions from the rest of the team. Anyone opposing? Shall we go on? Make some noise, people! :-)
Comment #5
add1sun commentedYes, this area definitely needs to be rethought. Just for a little history if how it came to its current configuration:
Originally the D5 handbook *was* the theming guide. With the big changes in the D6 theming system dvessel offered to write a new handbook, which became the D6 guide. It was written as a whole new book over a long period of time and then finally added to the main landing page when it was mostly completed. I'm not sure what the long-term goal in terms of organization was, but I do believe that was supposed to be a step in a direction.
I agree that the way things seem to have settled out is a little confusing. In many ways this is like the problem in the getting started guide where older, existing material was moved into an "old" section wholesale and lots of general material got swept into a hard to find place.
I'd like for us to come up with a really nice plan that can handle growth, as you suggest, and that outline is a good start. Could we perhaps post to the doc mail list and the theme list/group to make sure we get varied feedback? Let's put it all in the pot, stir it up and see what we come up with. I also want to touch base with Mark Boulton Design to see if/how much they plan to look at IA within the documentation.
Comment #6
Jeff Burnz commented#2 looks like good moves all round.
We also have many other nodes on theming fragmented throughout the docs - for example http://drupal.org/node/136502 - buried deep in "Beyond the Basics".
Wouldn't it also make sense for us to somehow work these disparate nodes into a major section on theming -e.g. links to those pages from within the main theme guide or perhaps a total restructure? Just putting it out there.
Comment #7
add1sun commentedAh, there is a related issue which in effect duplicates this one. I'm going to mark this a dupe and we can continue the conversation over there.
#254947: reorganize Theme handbooks