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Using the Help file

  • 10 March 2020
  • 4 replies
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Userlevel 5
Badge +15

The current “Help” (in “User Interface") file is in my opinion not really usefull while it lacks features such as images, linking to other documents. The documentation of the SF for example is created and managed using external tooling (Docusaurus), not by the “Help” feature under User Interface in the SF. I really appreciate the ‘docs.thinkwisesoftware.com’ as it's fast, complete and easy to look up via the search box.

I'm wondering what the plans are regarding the Help section? Is it on the roadmap?

To be clear, when naming “Help”, I do not mean https://docs.thinkwisesoftware.com/, but the “Help” (F1) section when the end application is started.

There are some benefits in tooling like Docusaurus (some mentioned over here), such as version control (pull request / review mechanism), slick lay-outs, which I think are also very interesting for us. But there are also some difficulties for non-developers (let's say ‘low code platform developers’).

It would be great if there is something similar to Docusaurus inside the SF handling versions, languages, reviewing documentation, embedding images, videos, etc.

I would like to hear from others if they use the “Help” file, or not, and why (not)? And if not, what could be better, or how it's solved?

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Best answer by Mark Jongeling 8 April 2021, 10:42

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Userlevel 5
Badge +15

Anyone? The combination of the newly introduced button ‘Online documentation’ and the ‘F1’ button is a bit weird to me.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +23

Hi René,

I must have missed this topic, but the Online documentation button is only visible in the Project ribbon inside the Software Factory. The Help text is meant to be Help or Documentation for the application you are using at that moment.

Also since the Windows GUI version 2021.1.17, the buttons now have a different icon and translation. Also the ThinkStore is now accessible.

Windows GUI 2021.1.17

 

Userlevel 5
Badge +15

Hi Mark,

The point I was trying to make is actually that I don't understand why there is a help button in the top right corner. The documentation over there is obviously not sufficient. Instead there is a custom “Documentation” item in the ribbon.

In our end product we also don't use the built-in feature of documentation (just as the SF and IAM), but use our own documentation website.

I would personally replace the top right button with opening a browser to the proper documentation.

For us that would be sufficient (more like a feature request, although the SF could need it aswell), but maybe are the plans regarding built-in documentation with the Universal GUI more satisfying, I don’t know :).

Userlevel 7
Badge +23

Hey René,

I have suggested the idea of Hiding the Help button if it's not set up in the Software Factory, but it couldn't be implemented in a reasonable timeframe: Hiding Help functionality button if not set up in Software Factory | Thinkwise Community (thinkwisesoftware.com)

The Helptext implementation has not been planned yet for the Universal GUI. As told here, the wish is on the Backlog: Helptext in Universal, F1 or TOC? | Thinkwise Community (thinkwisesoftware.com) 

For the Universal GUI, the Help and its implementation will be revised. We will keep in mind online documentation as we use it ourselves too :wink:

As alternative, you can have a menu entry to open the Online documentation. You are able to use a Task with Object name [url] and one parameter called url with Task logic type Windows command*. Then upon selecting it, it will use the value of parameter url to open a URL in the default browser of the user. For example, we currently use this for Registering your IAM environment from within the IAM application.

Task

*Also works in the Web GUI

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