Process for preparing handbook updates for new features

• May 26, 2019 - 23:18

I don't see any discussion of best practices for how to prepare handbook updates in advance of feature releases. I'm going to prepare material for a new feature moving through the release stream. It would obviously be preferable to delay my handbook changes until the feature is available; but I'd like to get the new material in place quickly at that point. I'm guessing that the thing to do is to store the updates in a text file, use the preview feature to edit them, and then when the time comes pull the cork. But I'd appreciate any input about how this is normally done.

Also, I'm going to prepare some more in-depth how-to material about the feature's use. The "How to" collection seems rather thin, and there don't seem to be any links to it from the handbook outline. Is this still the best place for such material? Is there a reason we don't point handbook users at those articles? (I wasn't even aware these existed until I saw it mentioned on the "Community Documentation" page.)


Comments

Since new features are available in a new release, the handbook needs to have a line like

Single note dynamics (as of version 3.1): To make dynamics affect single notes...

Since 3.1-rc is out and 3.1 is days away, I don't see a problem with the handbook already including these features.

In reply to by mike320

Thanks, yes, but this is for material that is further out in the pipeline. It would seem premature to have documentation for future features; and of course, by definition, they might change before release. Anyway I was mostly trying to make sure I hadn't missed a whole documentation development lifecycle that was elsewhere in the community LOL.

In reply to by Jm6stringer

Ah yes indeed. It was helpful. But I'm really more interested in the purely mechanical side of how best to stage documentation changes. Clearly a text file will do the job, which I'll commit by pasting in at the appropriate time. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some other "normal" way to do this.

In reply to by spinality

Are you working on a new feature? I'd be curious to know what it is and when testing of it might begin. I don't contribute code, but I do try to test new versions and help find/report bugs. I helped Marc with testing the improvements in continuous view between the second beta and the RC. I'm on telegram if you want to talk to me about this.

In reply to by mike320

I've been working with James Thistlewood, who has implemented a number of great improvements to Fretboard Diagrams. I volunteered to do the handbook updates. I have a large number of potential new MS users champing at the bit for the new capability, so if possible I'd like to put reasonable documentation and a how-to in place, before I share the information with them.

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