[doc] User's Guide: goals, proposed structure

[Brent J. Nordquist]

Scope:  I'm beginning user documentation for the Horde "groupware"  
applications:  IMP, Turba, Kronolith, Nag, and Mnemo.  I can see other
"related" apps (SAM, forwards, vacation) getting added at some point, but
I think separate documentation for "distinctly different" apps (Gollem,
Chora, Troll, etc.) would probably be best... although DocBook makes
combining and splitting very easy.  Sys. admin. documentation is a
separate project, as is the FAQ.

Below is what I have so far for document structure; I'm going to begin the
process of breaking the U. Mich. document into chunks and reorganizing
them along the following lines.  (I'm also looking locally and elsewhere
for other user's guides to fold into this.)

I think it's important to break email up into two chapters, one for just
the basics (what would you need to know to be able to send and receive
email; simple ways of doing things) and the other for advanced features.

I also think it's important to break the document into very small atomic
pieces, so that sites can more easily omit information on features that
they have disabled site-wide.  Here DocBook is going to be wonderful; what
I'm aiming for is to only have to remove lines from a table-of-contents
entity.  Adding sections locally should be just as easy.

Suggestions very welcome as I work on this process!


Introduction/Preface

  Copyright etc.
  The Horde Project
  This manual
    Note: some things are site-specific

ch. 1 - Getting Started

  Logging in
    Language (and pointer to Preferences for permanent change)
  The Horde summary screen
    "New" shortcuts
  Horde bar/moving between applications
  Logging out

ch. 2 - Email basics

  The INBOX message list
    Opens to first page containing an unread message
    Sorting (click the heading; click triangle to invert)
    Meaning of message icons and colors
    Click a subject to open message view
  The message view
    Replying/forwarding (see Composing)
    Deleting
  Composing a new email
    Hint: see ch. 3 on creating a signature
    Picking the recipient (typed, or "Expand Names"--see also ch. 4)
    Subject and message text
    Sending the message

ch. 3 - More email features

  The message list
    Checking for new mail/refreshing
    Setting message flags
    Selecting for mass actions (Delete, etc.)
    Purging deleted messages
  The message view
    Reading attachments
    Printing
    Viewing full headers
  Composing a new email
    Adding attachments
    Saving/resuming a draft
  Organizing with folders
    Creating/renaming/deleting folders
    Moving messages between folders
  Mail filters
  Preferences
    Signature

ch. 4 - Contacts

ch. 5 - Calendar

ch. 6 - Tasks (to-do items)

ch. 7 - Notes

-- 
Brent J. Nordquist <bjn@horde.org> N0BJN
Other contact information: http://www.nordist.net/contact.html