Updated Reference Documentation + Documentation Compiler version 1.2.0

[Juan Conejero]

Hi all,

Slowly finishing more reference documents on standard PixInsight tools. New documents for ChannelCombination, ChannelExtraction and a preliminary version of ColorCalibration are now available. The current set of available documents is:

BackgroundNeutralization
ChannelCombination
ChannelExtraction
ColorCalibration
CurvesTransformation
HistogramTransformation
ScreenTransferFunction

The ColorCalibration document is finished except for a few figures that I still have to include, but the text is definitive.

I know I am quite slow with this but that's all I've been able to write after working hard on several development fronts, in preparation to the next version of PixInsight. Hopefully I'll be able to speed up documentation work considerably during the next weeks.

New versions of the PixInsight documentation compiler and the PIDoc document definition language are also available:

http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=2429.0

There are also changes in the style sheets and other system files:

http://pixinsight.com/doc/pidoc

That's it for now. Nice weekend to everybody!

[Nocturnal]

This looks really great Juan!

In my opinion it would be fine to do a release with partial documentation just to get some feedback. For some modules it may be enough to start with a general description on what the module is for and how to use it, leaving the details to the 'hints' already present in most UI elements. In those cases you could simply add a paragraph stating "This section will be updated in a future release. For now please refer to mouse-over hints provided by the dialog.".

Then when the auto-update system is in place you can update documentation files one by one and we'll get them as soon as you publish them.

You know this but I'll say it anyway. Nay-sayers will now complain that this documentation is too late. F 'em. They won't ever be happy with PI so no loss there. On the other hand there will be lots of people who will take a 2nd or 3rd look at PI and will love the new docs. I am pretty sure you'll find this effort was worth your while.

[Nigel Ball]

.... Nay-sayers will now complain that this documentation is too late. F 'em. They won't ever be happy with PI so no loss there ....

Here! Here!

I think you either love PI or you don't

The documentation produced so far is excellent and I agree with Sander dont wait for all the documentation to be ready it is perfectly acceptable to realease with part documentation. We develop software so I am aware of the issues

Great work Juan 

[sigurd]

I think Sander is right as well, a "documentation release" would be well appreciated (assuming rolling a release isn't too painful).

-esy

[sigurd]

Oh. And the documentation so far looks truly excellent. 

-esy

[RBA]

In my opinion it would be fine to do a release with partial documentation just to get some feedback. For some modules it may be enough to start with a general description on what the module is for and how to use it, leaving the details to the 'hints' already present in most UI elements. In those cases you could simply add a paragraph stating "This section will be updated in a future release. For now please refer to mouse-over hints provided by the dialog.".

"Partial documentation" is already being made available through these posts for anyone to give feedback.
I would only make an official release once the documentation is complete, or in this case, once all modules are covered.
No offense, but people pay for this, and while PixInsight is a constantly evolving project, I would avoid giving people the feeling they paid for an incomplete product.
Incomplete documentation gives that feeling and it doesn't look professional.

My 2 c's...