I understand that y’all are working hard to do important updates. I appreciate the people who have been so helpful in this group with the things I need help with. But how long has it been since the version 4 UI has come out? And still the documentation waits for an update. I have been patient. I have watched the Youtube videos. I have tried, really. But every time I start into any aspect of my site development I turn to the documentation and find it wanting.
I don’t know. Maybe you are all high level programmers and this program isn’t for someone with mere intermediate skills. But I came to Wappler because it promised a straight-forward way to not have to learn the intimacies of programming. Was I wrong?
Are you a software company? Do you not have someone in charge of the all important documentation? Are you really relying on the users to do this for you? Do you not want new users?
The Wappler team is a team of only three people. It’s not some huge company. It relies heavily on the many useful members of this community. To be honest, this community is better than any documentation could be. Documentation could never cover every aspect of Wappler. I am grateful that the actual team spends so much time on here providing top notch support.
In the time it has taken to write the few rants you have done in the last couple days you could have simply asked about the issues you have come across instead and have been answered and well on your way. What exactly are you having issues with? This community is here to help. There is a good chance that unless it is something really specific it is already covered in this community. I have learned more by spending a few minutes every day on this forum than I have by any documentation (for any software).
It’s hard for the community to help if you don’t say exactly what you are stuck on. Together we will get you through this
Technically this is my first official rant. The rest were just grumblings as I come across one more time where I must humbly ask for help. And yes, people have been very helpful and I have solved everything I need to to date. Great community. I guess I just don't like having to turn to everyone for the sort of things that I should be able to just look to the documentation for. I mean, that's why there IS documentation, right!?
I think the challenge is, the Wappler team would need a full time technical content writer to cover all the aspects of Wappler that need documentation (and update them as quickly as updates are made).
Wappler can do so many things, that it’s almost impossible to cover everything in docs, unfortunately. It is the beast it is. And also simply due to how quickly the 3 man team just pushes updates and new things out.
I know nothing about PHP and JS code but I can confirm that the community is great and expert when help is needed, even on evenings and weekends sometimes!
That being said, it is annoying to have to spend time looking for info that turns out inexistant/out-dated in the Doc and then spend time asking question in the community. As a no coder, it is easier and faster to go get the info straight from a Doc. Because low/no code is about two things for beginners like me: speed and access to web dev in clean code.
Once the basics are understood, via up-to-date Docs, then one can definitely ask the community for more specific challenges. Ken’s and Ben’s videos are great, but not enough.
The team could update at least the basics for a good start, even if it means no version upgrade for a week or two. Did we really need 20 Wappler themes? Not really - time wasted? Just sayin’…
Why not having a weekly (or bi-monthly) poll asking the community about what’s most needed/desired for the next upgrade(s)? Also, the Docs can be rebuilt little by little (one hour every week to redo a topic).
Last, sometimes, I’d spend time reading a thread for solution only to realize after a few replies that it is a node project. More time wasted. Anyway we can see in the subtitle of each thread the related language (php or node) - or any other type of filter to sort through the noise?
Oh! Another topic about documentation. That’s original! Use search function please. This topic has been discussed dozens of times and the conclusion is always the same: the documentation is perfectly viable. For extra help there is a helpful community.
When was the last time you looked at the documentation Mr. Ambassador (what does that title mean anyway? Do you get Wappler for free? Because I pay almost $50US a month and would like some accurate and up-to-date documentation). Might be fine for someone who already knows everything about the program, but for us poor newbies it means lots of digging, searching, etc.
We were all newbies once and went through the process of learning, digging and asking. Don’t cut corners. That’s how you really master the app and the framework.
Trying, for instance, to pull together information about using some Wappler tools that we have not used before.
It is usually a matter of piecing together docs, forums, videos that may range in several years of posting. Now with API s, workflows, Websockets, major division between Node.js or php development platforms – there are a wide gamut of links to filter through and determine which are relevant to my situation
I wish Wappler could fund 2 people who can work as one Documentation Unit to go beyond Introductions to New Features & go deep in key areas of using those tools in real life applications.
I am daily frustrated to use the Search in both official documentation and the forum topics and find NO RESULTS for what I was sure would cover common topics about Wappler tools.
So, as Wappler grows a major Wappler enhancement would be One-stop-Searching for Solutions & Instructions by harnessing some communications professionals who enjoy that kind of work.
Nothing can replace our Tutorial Geniuses on Youtube & other video platforms, obviously.
But, spiffing up the Documentation & tossing in a few clear explanations of common usage where they may be lacking would be USEFUL.
