Note entry without note exit?
In my experience with MuseScore, new users are finding it difficult to start entering notes, because the handbook does not tell them immediately how to get rid of unwanted notes.
There are four different methods for removing notes that were entered in error, none of which are mentioned where they are most needed, i.e. in the section on the basics of note entry. Two of these methods work only to remove whatever note was just entered. The other two are applicable anywhere.
I think all of this information needs to be spelled out in detail, and placed conspicuously in the handbook, together with the instructions for entry. Does anyone agree?
Comments
It might be easier to understand your point if you spelled out the four methods, as I'm having trouble thinking of any besides (1) undo, and (2) select and delete. Both of those seem so intuitive and predictable that it didn't occur to me that they need special emphasis -- but I'm intrigued to learn of the other approaches.
In reply to what are the four ways? by [DELETED] 448831
Two ways to undo, and two ways to delete, makes four. Handbooks are full of things that may seem intuitive and predictable to some, but not necessarily to beginners, on whose behalf my plea was made. Appropriate mention in context is not quite the same thing as special emphasis, but either would be welcome.
In reply to what are the four ways? by sterlingb
Software documentation like a user’s handbook assumes the user is a “beginner” as regards the application, but I wouldn’t expect it to assume users are beginners with the use of computers and software generally.
Concepts such as undoing an action and of selecting an object before performing an action upon it (e.g., deletion) are familiar to anyone who's used software previously. They may be worth mentioning in context, but, as a practical matter, it seems beyond the scope of a user’s handbook to anticipate all the potential issues affecting a complete beginner with no such experience.
In reply to beginners ... hmmm by [DELETED] 448831
Anyone who has used software (any kind? on any platform?) should know how to delete a note from a score? (I usually use the Delete key for that, don't you?) But not how to put it there in the first place?? Well, forgive me for daring to hint that the sacrosanct text of this Handbook could be in any way deficient! You deliberately miss the point, which is that when you tell people how to do something, you need to tell them also how to correct their mistakes. (This might even apply to undersea oil drilling, it would seem…)
In reply to beginners … hmmm by sterlingb
Perhaps I misapprehend your tone, but I don't know why you wouldn't assume good faith on my part. (I assure you I'm not "deliberately miss[ing] the point.")
A user's manual can't possibly cover everything that anyone might not know -- so where do you draw the line? It seems to me that the responsibility of authors is to be thoughtful when choosing essential information to include; deciding what's indispensable and what's superfluous is a matter of prioritizing and a judgment call requiring assumptions about what users already know and what they need to learn.
Perhaps a case can be made for considering a lower common denominator of starting-point savvy, but it still entails a set of assumptions. Conscientious authors will make careful assumptions and draw the line between inclusion and exclusion accordingly. Most people should find their choices reasonable, but it's probably inevitable that everyone isn't satisfied.