Re: Quickstart guide

[Joseph Wakeling]

On 06/22/2010 09:38 PM, Graham Percival wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 09:16:34PM +0200, Joseph Wakeling wrote:
>> I was sure there was some kind of one-page quickstart guide in the
>> documentation, but looking on the development version doc pages at
>> http://kainhofer.com/~lilypond/ I can't find one -- at least, it's not
>> immediately apparent that one exists.
> 
> WTM are you talking about?  something like this:
> http://lilypond.org/website/macos-x.html
> or this:
> http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.13/Documentation/learning/tutorial
> ?

Please let me emphasize that I'm not talking about cutting material from
the existing docs or website, nor am I saying that the information in
question is not provided by the existing website.

I'm talking about creating a 1-page quickstart readme guide, probably
customized per platform, that would be _part of the install_ on
platforms where people are used to GUIs.

Example: Windows.  Add a Lilypond menu item.  Clicking on it loads the
HTML quickstart guide and a command-line window.  It's not what the user
is used to, but it does provide an immediate offset to the 'HTM do I use
this program?' reaction that some Windows users have.

> What would you omit from the current Learning 1 in the 2.13 docs?

I wouldn't omit anything from the current Learning 1.

I'd just create a new page which gives the absolute, absolute minimum of
information (edit file in text editor, open command line window, compile
like this...), and CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.

Something that jumps up in the face of the new user on Windows/Mac OS
and gives them a pre-emptive answer to the 'How does this program work?'
question that keeps arriving on the mailing list.

> I'm really curious about what you think is irrelevant...

I don't say it's irrelevant.  I _do_ say that there is value in a simple
1-page quickstart guide.

Best wishes,

    -- Joe