One of the reasons WordPress is such a popular CMS is that it's so easy to get started with this site. Pick a login name and password and that's it. While the first hurdle in the road may be choosing a theme, the Customizer goes a long way to solving some of the initial problems of what “what would your site look like”?
Another exciting moment in a new user's WordPress journey is usually when something unexpected happens. You have probably had this moment; You think (or shout) "I can't do X!" Or "What does this message mean?"
Of course, there is always the wishlist moment: "How do I add text, images or other features to my site?" "
Unlike the software you install and run on your computer, WordPress doesn't have a help system that pops up when you press F1, but it certainly does have a need to get those annoying questions answered. Chances are you've been referred to Codex WordPress when you encounter a problem. Maybe you were intimidated by the technical language when you got there, or you think Codex is for coders (it isn't).
If any of the things you just read resonate with your experience finding a solution to a WordPress problem, then the WordPress documentation team has heard you. It will get better, but you will need a little more patience.
The future of WordPress documentation is called “HelpHub” and it will be ready in 2018.
What is wrong with the WordPress Codex?
For WordPress beginners, WordPress Codex is a resource important and the articles are generally useful. He peut be difficult to find the right item you are looking for. The Codex home page tries to point you in the right direction, with a variety of links.
Right near the top, "Learn to use WordPress". Looks like the right place. Then you see links to two articles that seem to cover the same ground.
The first in the list is Getting Started with WordPress, which is just another set of links. This is all good to get lost, but also you might get confused by seeing some items listed in the Beginners and Intermediate sections.
One of those articles for beginners and intermediates is also linked to the first page, right after getting started. His name is New to WordPress - Where to Start . This article offers a "well-written step-by-step plan to get started." It advises you to plan your site, install WordPress, choose a theme, and choose plugins. This article is filled with links to more in-depth treatments, but with descriptions of those articles.
Likewise, dealing with a problem can also be embarrassing. The homepage section, What You Need To Know About WordPress, tells you the category help. Here you will find links to frequently asked questions and articles on installation issues, design, layout, and handling of spam comments.
Too often, when you get an error message, or a puzzling issue that doesn't quite fit one of the categories offered, it takes you to the Forums. You can get a link to the right article that addresses your issue, or something relevant that someone else has used to solve a similar issue.
Tip: The Troubleshooting page, under Wanted, provides a good summary of the how to write a great support request. Read this before going to the forums!
What is HelpHub?
Let's look at them HelpHub Objectives, as stated in the project specifications.
For users, the objectives are simple:
- Replace the contents support (mainly on the Codex) with high quality and easy to understand articles.
- Create a searchable repository that makes it easy for users to access content.
HelpHub also offers benefits for the WordPress support team:
- Reduce the amount of support forum posts by making it easier to find answers in HelpHub.
- Provide a reference to which support forum volunteers can link to common questions
Models: Mozilla and DevHub
The templates are very similar to other complex sites and apps with known last names like Apple, Google, Mozilla (Firefox). When you arrive at the site, you can ask a question and find answers to that question, or a solution to a problem you are having.
To get a feel for what HelpHub is, check out help.mozilla.org, the support site for the Firefox browser, the Thunderbird email client, and a variety of other products and projects.
Today, if you visit help.mozilla.org, you see a list of Mozilla products. Click on Firefox , and you get a set of areas such as Install and update , Manage preferences and addons , and Protect your privacy . Click on any of those buttons, and you get a series of articles related to that button.
More to the point, look at the new DevHub from WordPress. The documentation team calls the latter the DevHub. The site provides links to existing developer manuals for creating Themes, plugin developers, people who want to learn more about the REST programming interface and the new command line interface (WP-CLI).
Documentation team leader Jon Ang describes the difference between DevHub and HelpHub like this: "If someone is asking, ' How can I utiliserWordPress“, He must think of HelpHub. If anyone is wondering, how do something with WordPress, they should think about DevHub.
Each of the manuals is searched, but a global search is not yet possible.
Speaking of search, Mozilla, Google and many other help sites offer a box of search support overall. WordPress HelpHub will also offer this. The team is looking for a faster and more efficient search engine than the current WordPress search engine.
When will the HelpHub be available
In a June 2017 interview with WPTavern at WordCamp Europe, team leader Doc Jon Ang said he hoped that a first version of the site would be ready by the end of 2017, with the project completed by the end of XNUMX. last year .
The Doc team actively fixes bugs in the code, with a weekly “bug-scrub” event. The Docs group imports contents from existing Codex pages, formatting and editing it for better readability.
When it's ready to go, this will be the place where you can get WordPress information and help. You may be able to search for a specific area on the HelpHub, if you are unsure which WordPress component is affected.
This is not a final result, but you can now check out the HelpHub support site today.
That's it for this tutorial, what do you think of this new documentation?
