New handbook needed for MS 3.5

• May 7, 2020 - 10:29

Each MS 3 version is bringing changes to the user interface and its becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile the different features in one text. It's also more difficult to read and find information.

IMV, it's now time to start a new handbook (MS 3.5) by duplicating the existing one, retitling it, and archiving the old one. This will allow us to (1) update with the new features and (2) delete text that was exclusive to previous versions of MS3 and is no longer relevant. This will make the handbook easier to update and read in future.

Comments

Jojo-Schmitz

• May 7, 2020 - 10:33

No. Save that for MuseScore 4 (if at all).
The MuseScore 3 handbook is still way behind the MuseScore 2 one in terms of its translations. Starting a new 3.5 handbook would bring us back to zero on this.

geetar

• May 7, 2020 - 12:55

The advantages of a new 3.5 handbook:

Easier to update the English handbook, since editors no longer have to worry about reconciling the different features, procedures and GUIs of different MS3 versions: all material referring to pre-3.5 version of MS3 can be deleted.
Easier to read and find info because the handbook contains only text applicable to 3.5: no need to wade through extraneous material. And it will be slimmer by a few pages.
The old 3.4 handbook translations can be carried over to the new book (?): for the most part they will still be relevant. And future translation will be easier because there is a little less text to translate.
The old 3.4 handbook and its translations can be archived: no change.

Jojo-Schmitz

• May 7, 2020 - 13:20

Translations have never been carried across, not from the 1.x to 2.x handbook not from 2.x to 3.x.
IMHO the disadvantages outweigh the advantages by quite a bit

Work on MuseScore 4 has started already (in the background, not much to be seen in the foreground yet though), when that gets released we'd have to do the whole thing all over again.

jeetee

• May 7, 2020 - 13:22

Although 3.5 does pack some new features, it is still a minor release within the 3.x branch. For new features, it is easy enough to add a new page (as we did for SND/PRE).

We have deliberately refrained from "the big UI change" which will come with MuseScore 4; at which point indeed a copy and archive of the handbook seems a wise action. For now, I don't see the "huge differences" that would warrant restarting the handbook.

Marc Sabatella

• May 7, 2020 - 21:19

I agree with those saying that while there are indeed a relatively large handful of changes, it's nowhere near the mountain of changes that would require a new Handbook. That will come with MsueScore 4, no doubt.

I would be totally in favor of removing all references to earlier 3.x releases, though. That is, I don't know that the current Handbook for MuseScore 3 really needs tell you how to use 3.1 or whatever, it can just focus on 3.5. If someone desperately needs a 3.1 Handbook we can keep the PDF's around.

geetar

• Jun 1, 2020 - 10:29

I would be totally in favor of removing all references to earlier 3.x releases, though

+1. Archive previous-version manuals as pdfs; and only the current MS version to be documented in the latest manual.

Jojo-Schmitz

• Jun 1, 2020 - 10:34

I'm against that, there are enough users stuck on 3.2.3 for example, as their distro isn't up-to-date.
And switching to a new handbook is a royal PITS for translators, which still by far haven't recovered from the 2.x to 3.x switch
New handbook with 4.x, at the earliest, that's my (strong) opinion.

BTW: having the new features in the same handbook and mentioning the version is also giving users an incentive to update. And saves us from questions in the forum about things users don't find in their version.