Re: [xwiki-users] Making it user-friendly to edit pages with macros for new users (was Re: Need some Help & Explanations)

What I would like is something similar that we have for 'Included documents' but that shows the included macros on the page. Something is hard to know where they are located and how you can access them

if you are new and don't know about XWiki.WikiMacros). Something like an 'Included Macros' info in the panel:

(if the macro is defined in the same document, clicking on the 'Edit'

take you to the object editor).

Regarding a better location (like Vincent suggested at the top of the editor) was this proposal

Regarding 'a way to go back' we could have instead of 'Included macros' something like 'Included by' (with a backlink mechanism).

Thanks, Caty On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 17:46, Vincent Massol <vincent(a)massol.net>

> > On Mar 15, 2012, at 4:44 PM, Vincent Massol wrote: > >> >> On Mar 15, 2012, at 4:17 PM, Marius Dumitru Florea wrote: >> >>> A path that you can take to edit the home page is: >>> >>> * Go to the home page >>> * Click Edit >>> * Notice the "One included document" in the information panel (I

>> >> What we need to somehow make clear is that the home page content is

> using an include macro to include the content located at

>> >> This makes it very easy to replace the home page by your own content. >> >> What makes it hard is that our WYSIWYG is … WYSIWYG… :) >> So it hides what's underneath (the include macro) and displays the > result of executing the include macro. >> >> Several ideas below. >> >> Idea 1: >> ====== >> >> What we could do Marius is start introducing custom WYSIWYG renderers > for macros maybe so that a macro can contribute a custom WYSIWYG

> The include macro could then bring a custom WYSIWYG renderer that could > somehow make it clear that this content come from such document with a > button to go and edit that document's content. >> >> Idea 2: >> ====== >> >> Always start the WYSIWYG with folded macros so that the user sees the > structure of the page very clearly. He can then decide voluntarily to > render the macro content by enabling that in the toolbar or in a menu

>> >> Idea 3 >> ====== >> >> Start introducing custom editors for macro and implement a custom > Include Macro editor that would not only display the include macro

> now but at the top of the editor have some text that explains that the > content displayed comes from such other page and have a big button that

> can click to edit the content of that page (when clicked we would edit

> page in WYSIWYG mode - we'd need a way to go back too ;)). > > For idea3 to work the user would still need to figure out that he can > double click on the content he sees… So maybe that could be combined

> or 2. > > Thanks > -Vincent > >> WDYT? >> >> Thanks >> -Vincent >> >> >>> * Click on the Dashboard.WebHome link >>> * Click Edit >>> * You're taken to the dashboard editor where you can add/remove/edit > gadgets >>> * Hover over one of the gadgets and a wheel icon will appear that will >>> give you more options when clicked >>> * Edit the first gadget, "Welcome to your wiki" >>> * Notice that this gadget is actually an include macro and the >>> included document is Main.Welcome >>> * Go to Main.Welcome and change the content >>> >>> As for $msg.get('something') see >>> >

>>> >>> Hope this helps, >>> Marius >>> >>> On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 3:57 PM, Chris Bennett <

> wrote: >>>> I want to echo Ken's thoughts, and provide another data point to > represent >>>> the beginners out there who may be turned off by the learning curve. > This >>>> is something of a long post but I hope my concerns will be helpful to >>>> others. >>>> >>>> XWiki is a great product with a lot of potential for our organization >>>> (internal information exchange). I like it a lot, and I'm convinced > that in >>>> the long run it's better for us than any of the other options. I'm > primarily >>>> a .NET developer familiar with Java, Python, SQL, etc. I've set up > the the >>>> whole shebang from scratch using SQL Server, Tomcat, and all the

> I've >>>> created a new space, added some lengthy content with images, and > restricted >>>> views of unregistered guests. >>>> >>>> Yet I'm still dismayed at how hard it is to get the most basic > information >>>> on editing the very first page we all see. The page itself says it's > easy! >>>> Just try editing in WYSIWYG - it quits. Try editing in Wiki mode - >>>> unintelligible. The documentation simply says "just edit it" (I'm >>>> paraphrasing), but that doesn't work, the macro doesn't make sense

>>>> >>>> I've spent many hours trying to understand what's going on with the >>>> dashboard tool (e.g., $msg.get), spent hours rummaging in the

>>>> schema looking for "Welcome to your wiki" so I can change it to > "Welcome to >>>> MY Freaking Wiki!" (just kidding on that last part). >>>> >>>> I understand (now) that I can set up a new page and maybe in an hour > or so >>>> figure out how to get the home page redirected there, but that is a > lot of >>>> work for simply wanting to change the introductory text in the main > page to >>>> say something meaningful to my co-workers to get them interested. > Then I >>>> can go on the learn the programming part later. >>>> >>>> The point is that for folks like me there is a critical gap between > getting >>>> things running and taking the first meaningful step towards > controlling the >>>> application. If I am also not a programmer, then that gap is even > larger. >>>> >>>> Questions: >>>> - I'd like to see a tutorial-style breakdown of how the dashboard > app/tool >>>> thingy works. Having such a tutorial linked on the documentation

> would >>>> be ideal, it would be a great learning tool and introduction to the > more >>>> interesting features of XWiki. >>>> >>>> - In that tutorial, I'd like to know how to find out where to find > $msg.get >>>> keys so I can change reuse them, find out how they are intended to be > used, >>>> maybe even change them. Lots of parameters used in that tool are

>>>> difficult to find. How to know where to find even more? The API

> don't >>>> seem to cover this. >>>> >>>> Again, XWiki is a great product and I'm looking forward to using it > even if >>>> I don't figure out the dashboard :). If some kind soul wanted to > detail >>>> some explanations of the dashboard, and maybe create a HOWTO list of >>>> beginner tips that would be greatly appreciated by many I'm sure. > Maybe >>>> such a thing exists and I just haven't found it yet? >>>> >>>> Many thanks, >>>> -Chris. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> View this message in context: >

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