Every GNOME application or applet should have a manual specific
to that particular application. This manual should be a complete
and authoritative guide. The manual should describe what the
program does and how to use it. Manuals will typically describe
each feature and preference option presented to the user using
screenshots (in PNG format only) when appropriate. They should also
describe each window and panel if available.
An invaluable resource to the documentation writer is the GNOME
Documentation Style Guide (GDSG or just style guide). The style guide
gives pointer to writing documentation, word usage, usability, and
DocBook style. There are check lists for writing good documentation.
The style guide contains guidelines for writing to an international
audience so translations of the documentation don't lose content in
translation. An approved word list and definitions are available so
a set of basic technical words have the same meaning. It is always
handy to keep the style guide at your side or in a hardcopy so you
can refer to it while writing documentation. The GNOME Documentation
Style Guide can be obtained at
http://library.gnome.org/devel/gdp-style-guide/stable/ or
in the SVN module gnome-devel-docs/trunk/gdp-style-guide.
Documentation Availability
Applications and applets should not rely on documentation
which is only available on the internet. All manuals and
other documentation should be packaged with the application or
applet and be made available to the user through the standard
GNOME help system methods described below.
Application manuals should be based on the template in
for GNOME version 2.x.. Applet manuals should be based on
the templates for GNOME versions 2.x.
Manuals For Large Applications
Manuals for very large applications, such as GNOME Office
components should be a <book> (and thus
use <chapter> for each primary section)
, instead of <article> which most
applications use (with each primary section being a
<sect1>).
Application manuals should be made available by having a
entry in the
pull-down menu at the top of the
application, as described in Section 9.3 ― Listing Documents in the Help Menu.
Applets should make their manuals available by
right-clicking on the applet.
About
Copyrights
- Copyright © 2000 Red Hat, Inc.
- Copyright © 2000 Daniel Mueth
- Copyright © 2000 Alexander Kirillov
- Copyright © 2002 Eric Baudais
- Copyright © 2002 Eugene O'Connor
- Copyright © 2002 John Fleck
- Copyright © 2003 John Fleck
Legal Notice
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
License (GFDL), Version 1.1 or any later version published
by the Free Software Foundation with no Invariant Sections,
no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. You can find
a copy of the GFDL at this link or in the file COPYING-DOCS
distributed with this manual.
This manual is part of a collection of GNOME manuals
distributed under the GFDL. If you want to distribute this
manual separately from the collection, you can do so by
adding a copy of the license to the manual, as described in
section 6 of the license.
Many of the names used by companies to distinguish their
products and services are claimed as trademarks. Where those
names appear in any GNOME documentation, and the members of
the GNOME Documentation Project are made aware of those
trademarks, then the names are in capital letters or initial
capital letters.
DOCUMENT AND MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE DOCUMENT ARE PROVIDED
UNDER THE TERMS OF THE GNU FREE DOCUMENTATION LICENSE
WITH THE FURTHER UNDERSTANDING THAT:
-
DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES
THAT THE DOCUMENT OR MODIFIED VERSION OF THE
DOCUMENT IS FREE OF DEFECTS MERCHANTABLE, FIT FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGING. THE ENTIRE
RISK AS TO THE QUALITY, ACCURACY, AND PERFORMANCE
OF THE DOCUMENT OR MODIFIED VERSION OF THE
DOCUMENT IS WITH YOU. SHOULD ANY DOCUMENT OR
MODIFIED VERSION PROVE DEFECTIVE IN ANY RESPECT,
YOU (NOT THE INITIAL WRITER, AUTHOR OR ANY
CONTRIBUTOR) ASSUME THE COST OF ANY NECESSARY
SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. THIS DISCLAIMER
OF WARRANTY CONSTITUTES AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS
LICENSE. NO USE OF ANY DOCUMENT OR MODIFIED
VERSION OF THE DOCUMENT IS AUTHORIZED HEREUNDER
EXCEPT UNDER THIS DISCLAIMER; AND
-
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO LEGAL
THEORY, WHETHER IN TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE),
CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, SHALL THE AUTHOR,
INITIAL WRITER, ANY CONTRIBUTOR, OR ANY
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE DOCUMENT OR MODIFIED VERSION
OF THE DOCUMENT, OR ANY SUPPLIER OF ANY OF SUCH
PARTIES, BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY CHARACTER
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS
OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR
MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER DAMAGES OR
LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO USE OF THE
DOCUMENT AND MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE DOCUMENT,
EVEN IF SUCH PARTY SHALL HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Feedback
To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding the GNOME Handbook
of Writing Software Documentation follow the directions in the
GNOME Feedback Page.