[Zope-dev] [RfC] Removal of old stuff in Zope 2.10

[J Cameron Cooper]

Dario Lopez-Kästen wrote:
> Chris Withers wrote:
> 
>> Andreas Jung wrote:
>>>
>>> I've never met ppl who actually used the HelpSys so that's why I am 
>>> raising the question about the value of the HelpSys. Lots of my 
>>> co-workers work with Zope on different levels (scripters, product 
>>> developers)...I've always pointed them to the Zope Book...the HelpSys 
>>> was never a topic.
>>
>> I most commonly use the HurtSys for DateTime's api, and some of the 
>> idnexing apis. That said, I also agree it should die if something 
>> nicer comes along ;-)
> 
> I use it a lot, and like Chris, for the DateTime stuff, but also for 
> looking up how to manage properties, etc. It is/was a big help for me 
> (more so than the zope book, at least when I was learning Zope) when 
> learning stuff and looking up things.
> 
> One difference I perceive (YMMV) between the Zope book and the Online 
> help is that the online help is more of a renference than the Zope book.
> 
> I think my point is that it is an added value if there is an online help 
> available that does not require a live connection to the internet every 
> time you need to look something up.
> 
> So +1 on killing the current helpsystem and +1 on replacing it with 
> something nicer :-)

The online help reference for ZPT is quite good (and DTML as well), and 
before I knew ZPT well I used it a lot. I still look there occasionally 
for minor API things (like property managers and DateTime), though 
obviously this is also at various web-based sources. DocFinderTab is 
generally superior, save for those objects and technologies that are not 
persistent objects, or are not described well by the API (ZPT and 
DateTime, for instance.)

Also, I too use Gadfly frequently in training (and also when I was 
learning Zope), and it's fantastic that it's already there and usable. 
Installing MySQL or Postgres and an adapter is absurdly complicated with 
multiple people with multiple operating systems. I suppose a simple 
downloadable Product would be okay, but what burdens is that easing?

		--jcc
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