[Koha] The "one manual" idea

[Charillon, Aude]

Hello,

In the Koha Documentation team, we have been discussing whether we
still need one version of the manual per Koha version. The idea being
mooted is that having only one manual for all versions in the future
may be better.

It's an idea that is still at the exploration stage; at this point we
would like to get feedback from a wider group of people, hence this
message! I included further down a summary of what has been raised so
far. We are particularly interested in your thoughts on the following:

- What would be impacted if we decided to move to one manual - that we
haven't considered yet (see summary)? What issues may arise, who would
they affect, what are your suggestions to solve them?
- Are there any specific considerations for translated versions of the manual?
- Are there any technical considerations that us non-developers
haven't thought of?

If you have questions, concerns or just think it's a good idea, it
would also be nice to hear from you :-)

Thanks,

Aude [aude_c on Koha IRC]
Documentation Manager for the 23.11 cycle


Issues with the current situation
- The documentation cycle doesn't match the Koha development cycle. It
is near impossible for the Documentation team to document all the new
features before the new Koha version is released. The manual published
alongside the new Koha version is always behind.
- When the manual is updated, the update is made to the master branch
- the one that matches the numbering of the Koha version currently in
development. This master branch isn't visible (unless you know where
to find it). It is possible to "backport" updates to older versions of
the manual but this is not straightforward. Because we are behind with
documenting features, some updates would have to go back through
several older versions of the manual, making the process even less
straightforward. I'll be honest: it's rare these days when we backport
to older versions.
- For library teams, that means the explanation of a feature in their
Koha version is more likely to be in a newer version of the manual
(than in the one they'll land on when clicking the Help button).

One manual - why it would be beneficial
- Everything in one place: all the latest additions and improvements
to the manual available straight away to everyone everywhere.
- Translated manuals: only one version to keep on top of.
- Easier to manage by the community.

How it could work; questions and concerns identified
- What if something changes in a newer version of Koha / only exists
in some versions but not others? Wouldn't that be confusing in one
manual?
We would need to clearly mark sections with the Koha versions it
applies to, e.g. "until 22.11", "from 23.05".


Aude Charillon
Customer Services Consultant
PTFS Europe
aude.charillon at ptfs-europe.com