Documentation

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Hi,

I joined the JForum team last week and will be working on documentation.

Here is a list of particular items I've identified for working on; if you can provide any information on these or have other things that you think need (better) documentation then please post or PM.

• History of previous versions,
• information on security fixes and feature updates,
• a roadmap for development: previous, current and proposed,
• vendors who can support the software, and
• completing the user documentation.

These items are derived from a government open source procurement risk management checklist, therefore I'm addressing these in order to ensure easier acquisition of this software by government departments and agencies.

Cheers,
[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Let's go:

History of previous versions
Our public issue database is available at http://www.jforum.net/jira, and it contains almost all bugs found by our users, as well many feature and improvement requests. Note that Jira usage has grown very recently, as more people has been getting involved with JForum. I say almost because some critical issues were not registered there in the past for security reasons.

Until recently most core code development was done by me most of the time, and many bugs were reported in the Bug Discussions forum (which now is destined only to discussions, not bug reporting) and not registered in the bug tracker. This was obviously a flaw in the process, such that it's being aprimored now.

You'll find all registered issues since JForum 2.1.4 (older versions are archived and the listing is not public anymore) in the Changelog section.

Information on security fixes and feature updates
Please check the Changelog

A roadmap for development: previous, current and proposed
Ok, this is something that must be better introduced in JForum. Jakob (lazee here in the forum) is helping a lot with that, so you - and everybody else - should noticie many incoming improvements.

Vendors who can support the software
We should discuss this point.

Completing the user documentation
All help here is very welcome. We have introduced a Wiki for JForum's documentation, so any member of the so called JForum Team can improve it. We need expertise in how to organize / structure it in a relevant fashion.

Rafael
[originally posted on jforum.net by Rafael Steil]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Thanks for the info Rafael - plenty there to get started!
[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Ok I've come up with a plan of how I think the download and version specific doco should be organised:

• Standardised format for version information pages
• Online documentation to be maintained for current version only
• Create ability to compile online documentation to PDF
• Compile archived doco to PDF
• Extract information on feature enhancements and security fixes from changelogs and jira and include on version specific pages
• Graphical roadmap

Basically the idea is to pull out information current held in repositories such as jira, changelogs and the jira based roadmap and making it more accessible and presented in consistent format with more interlinking.

The format I propose for version specific pages is:

----------------------------------------------

Version x

[This is the current/latest version of JForum] or [This is a beta release of JForum] or [This is an archived version of JForum]

DOWNLOAD

Release date, file size

Feature updates:
-
-

Security fixes:
-
-

DOCUMENTATION [goes to online doco if current version, otherwise to PDF]

CHANGELOG

LATEST VERSION [if not currently browsing latest version]

----------------------------------------------
[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

In addition to this there'll be the version sub-site sitemap aka development roadmap which will provide a graphical view of the software development cycle providing summary information on release dates and any other milestone type information.

The format I'm going to try and implement will highlight the NEXT version at the top, with current version to the left and below, then previous versions going down in reverse chronological order - using graphical arrows to show cycle.

Down the right side will be future proposed versions with estimated release dates and once again any important information going down in ascending chronological order.

All boxes will link where possible to the appropriate version (archived, latest and beta) pages.
[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

v 0.9 of doco outline:

• JForum documentation
  
  
  
  • Overview
  
  
• For administrators
  
  
  
  • Installation
    
    
    
    • New
      
      
      
      • Checklist
        
      • Process
        
      • Testing
      
      
    • Upgrade
      
      
      
      • 2.1.6 to 2.1.7
        
      • 2.1.4 to 2.1.6
      
      
    • Migration
      
      
      
      • Data
        
      • Style
        
      • Configuration
      
      
    • Troubleshooting installation
      problems
    
    
  • Customisation
    
    
    
    • Style
      
      
      
      • Themes
        
        
        
        • Building your own
          
          
          
          • Picking colours
            
          • Coding
            
          • Packaging
          
          
        • Downloading existing
        
        
      • Configuring
      
      
    • Functionality
      
      
      
      • Planning rules
        
        
        
        • Download checklist
        
        
      • Implementing
    
    
  • Administration
    
    
    
    • Users
      
      
      
      • Block a user
        
      • Remove a user
      
      
    • Posts
      
      
      
      • Editing
        
      • Deleting
      
      
    • Topics
      
      
      
      • Editing
        
      • Deleting
      
      
    • Categories
      
      
      
      • Configuring
      
      
    • Forum
      
      
      
      • Attachments
        
        
        
        • Extensions/MIME
          
        • File size & quota
          
        • Configuring
        
        
      • Smilies/emoticons
        
        
        
        • Sourcing images
          
        • Copyright issues
          
        • Uploading
          
        • Removing
        
        
      • Cache
        
        
        
        • Configuring
          
        • Implications
        
        
      • Karma
        
        
        
        • Configuring
          
        • Implications
        
        
      • Ranking
        
        
        
        • Configuring
          
        • Implications
        
        
      • Moderation
        
        
        
        • Setting up
          moderators
      
      
    • Urgent
      
      
      
      • Block a user (link)
        
      • Delete a post (link)
        
      • Delete a topic (link)
        
      • Lock down forum
        
      • Troubleshoot error
    
    
  • Backup/restore
    
    
    
    • Backing up
      
      
      
      • Data
        
      • Styles
        
      • Configuration
      
      
    • Restoring
      
      
      
      • Data
        
      • Styles
        
      • Configuration
  
  
• For users
  
  
  
  • Registering & membership
    
    
    
    • Registration
      
    • Profile
      
    • Password
      
    • Logging in
      
    • Observing forum rules
    
    
  • Posting a message
    
    
    
    • Posting
      
    • Editing a topic
      
    • Deleting a topic
    
    
  • Starting a topic
    
    
    
    • New topic
      
    • Editing a topic
      
    • Deleting a topic
      
    • Polls
    
    
  • Moderation
    
    
    
    • What is moderation?
      
    • Who are moderators?
  
  
• The JForum project
  
  
  
  • The Team
    
  • Want to get involved?
    
  • Report a bug?

[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Should I be waiting for feedback on this - or if no one had any objections I'll just start doing the gap analysis and migrating existing content to the new format and structure, write the new content and get wiki write access at some point to publish?
[originally posted on jforum.net by nathanael_purecaffeine]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

I suggest adding some sections for Database specific issues and I18N
Also migration guide from other forum software
A FAQ for troubleshoting
A Hardware and Software Requirement is also recommended.
[originally posted on jforum.net by andowson]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Hi,

I am about to implement jForum in my company, and I am willing to contribute some documentations.

eg, I have a working implementation of SSO using NTLM (through the jCIFS library).

The wiki is asking me to login, but I can't find a way to register.

Am I blind or is the documentation wiki closed to external contribution ?

If so, what would be the best format to contribute pieces of documentation ?

cheers,
Patrick
[originally posted on jforum.net by pkr]