Online help outline

= The idea =

For upcoming series of 1.3.x releases (primary milestone would be v1.4) and further we need improved online help that takes into consideration topics that users are known to be most interested in.

There are 4 things that should be covered by the documentation:


 * 1) Basics of digital audio. This is what every user should know about audio if he/she wants to become powered user.
 * 2) Basic concepts of Audacity. Basic info on Audacity to get started fast.
 * 3) How to use Audacity to solve real life tasks. Usually this is collection of tutorials covering solution of most popular tasks.
 * 4) GUI reference. This is what Audacity online help is now.
 * 5) Docs for developers. Everything for new and experienced developers: coding style, writing plug-ins in Nyquist etc.

The documentation should suit both novices and pro users in a way that shouldn't distract both types from using Audacity. Docs for Scribus are a great example for 1. and 5., if someone wants to get an idea of what documentation should look like.

= What have we got right now? =


 * 1) Basics of digital audio.
 * 2) * We have Anthony's user guide that has this part please add URL
 * 3) * Someone needs to review it and turn it into Part 1 of the new online help.
 * 4) Basic concepts of Audacity.
 * 5) * Partly described in Anthony's user guide.
 * 6) How to use Audacity to solve real life tasks.
 * 7) * We have some useful info in this wiki to be reused, for example Reducing noise.
 * 8) * Someone should also go through the forum please add URL and collect information on tasks users want to solve using Audacity and make a list of them.
 * 9) * We then need to prioritize, and actually write the text and illustrate it properly.
 * 10) * FAQ also has a lot of excellent, well organised material please add URL.
 * 11) GUI reference.
 * 12) * As stated above, this work is already started. please add URL
 * 13) * We can now also pick up many png images directly without capturing them individually.
 * 14) Docs for developers.
 * 15) * There seems to be a coding style description in the CVS tree.
 * 16) * We also have introductional docs on creating scripts in Nyquist that we can reuse (as is).
 * 17) * Some of the topics in the doxygen special documentation may be useful. which ones?
 * 18) * Developers, please add your ideas.

= Initial outline for new online help =

It is still under discussion how much of the help will ship with Audacity and how much will be linked to on-site.


 * 1) Intro
 * 2) * This will have one paragraph for sections 'Basics', 'Concepts', 'How To', 'Reference', 'For Developers'. The intention is that 'power users' and 'new users' alike can quickly jump to the right place for them from this Intro page.
 * 3) Basics of digital audio
 * 4) * How sound is represented as samples.
 * 5) * add your stuff
 * 6) * add your stuff
 * 7) Concepts of Audacity
 * 8) * Tracks
 * 9) * Clips
 * 10) * add your stuff
 * 11) FAQ
 * 12) * Short answers will be included on the FAQs page; Answers which need to be longer will be links to the tutorials.
 * 13) How To solve real life tasks in Audacity
 * 14) * Many of these will be motivated by questions asked on the user list
 * 15) * How do I record my voice, or a voiceover?
 * 16) * How do I record my tapes or casettes?
 * 17) * How do I import my MP3s or OGGs?
 * 18) * How do I import my CDs?
 * 19) * How do I export my project as an MP3?
 * 20) * How can I export parts of my track to separate files?
 * 21) * The Effects menu is greyed : How do I apply effects?
 * 22) * Record a concert and prepare it to upload to Internet
 * 23) * Normalize tracks
 * 24) * Clean noise from records
 * 25) * Process records in a batch
 * 26) * Tips on reducing noise when recording.
 * 27) * add your stuff
 * 28) GUI reference
 * 29) * Control Toolbar
 * 30) * Mixer Toolbar
 * 31) * Meter Toolbar
 * 32) * Edit Toolbar
 * 33) * Transcription Toolbar?
 * 34) * Selection Toolbar
 * 35) * Rearranging Toolbars - Also enabling/disabling
 * 36) * Track Pop-Down Menu
 * 37) * File Menu
 * 38) * Edit Menu
 * 39) * View Menu
 * 40) * Project Menu
 * 41) * Generate Menu
 * 42) * Effect Menu
 * 43) * Analyze Menu
 * 44) * Help Menu
 * 45) * Track Panel - General notes on enlarging/shrinking selections
 * 46) * Tracks - Creating/Deleting/moving/resizing.
 * 47) * Track Ruler - Needs details of play-selection and poor-mans scrubbing
 * 48) * Audio Track - Needs details of collapse button/restore, Sample editing and Multi-tool mode, splitting stereo
 * 49) * Label Track - Needs update for draggability, new images, font selection
 * 50) * Time Track
 * 51) * MIDI Track - Gone??
 * 52) * Preferences - Needs New options/pages added. Also we will link to these sections from Audacity with a button
 * 53) * Sound File Formats
 * 54) * Envelope Editing
 * 55) * MP3 Exporting
 * 56) * General Public License
 * 57) * add your stuff
 * 58) For Developers - Developing for Audacity
 * 59) * The bundled help will probably mostly include links here, rather than the full text
 * 60) * Coding style
 * 61) * Using audacity CVS (?)
 * 62) * Writing plug-ins in Nyqiust
 * 63) * Creating a skin for Audacity
 * 64) * Translation
 * 65) * add your stuff

= Other improvements to the help system =


 * 1) New look possibly using stylesheets with tabbed dividers.
 * 2) Ability to easily reach corresponding part of GUI reference