Updating documentation

Matthew · 2019-04-01 07:18:02

I am in the process of reorganizing and updating our existing documentation, and writing up some new topics for Backlight 2 and its add-ons. This is a work-in-progress, as you might imagine. A part of this process is reviewing docs from under Backlight, updating and moving them up into the Backlight 2 section; some of it is just writing all new docs. Therefore, expect to see docs disappearing from lower on the page as I move them up, or break them apart.

I've just spent the last few hours specifically working on docs for the Client Response Add-on:
http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … t_response

I realize this is not comprehensive. There will be more. I'd like some feedback, though, on what aspects of using Client Response you feel could particularly benefit from more documentation.

skipper · 2019-04-01 18:07:04

Youtube tutorials wouldn't be bad! Seeing someone do it is sometimes more comprehensive then reading up on it. All the different settings for the templates could be explained in more detail and a good youtube channel would certainly be a good marketing tool also.

BTW: When I click on the SHOP link here in the forum, I get to a page that advertises Backlight 1.01 Upgrade, date stamp 2016.

Matthew · 2019-04-02 13:06:13

Thanks for catching that menu item. Fixed!

mad · 2019-04-02 20:27:41

Matt,

On the Client Response, I think it would be beneficial to discuss the login/logout aspect of the CRG, a real-world example of how to use function plugin for login/logout with the menu. Also, I think that when this is describe that for the Managed (Private) Gallery then a discussion to use this shortSiteURL().'backlight/clients/logout'; in the code which is much better for logouts for a Managed Gallery.

Just a thought since I had seen many discussions on how to code this in the plugins but the example in the plugins is not very useful!!! So, maybe a discussion on which functions can be called like shortSiteURL() and exactly what it returns. I figured this all out since I know how to write code I think it will be a useful documentation for non-coders if they have a real world example.

One more thought, I think it would be beneficial to people to show a few examples of how to setup a Client Response Gallery in LR or Backlight. Since in most cases You will have to set up a Managed and UnManaged Gallery for any one client. This means that you need to take care and how this is presented to clients. For example, in my case I found that I have the client enter in their album name which is part of the name of the album in LR/Backlight Gallery - then I create a dynamic menu item for them to access that album. Then show them their Album Set for the Client showing all of their albums (Their photos album, managed albums, shared albums, etc.) then they can login to any of their albums but the added benefit is that no other client or user can see their albums nor can they guess at the clients album name but even if they did they are all protected by login. But, there are other examples of how to set this up as I have tried a few; but I think this is a useful discussion in the documentation.

Thanks,
Michael

Last edited by mad (2019-04-02 20:51:34)

kolohe280 · 2019-04-02 23:27:25

I second mad's comment about PHPlugins. I have always wondered just what data is available to me in the plugins, but was never sure where to look.

5Michael5 · 2019-04-10 08:08:12

Hi Matt,
Since yours is - as far as I know - the ONLY solution for self hosted Client Response interaction, I very much welcome enhanced attention for documentation. The YouTube suggestion is fine of course, but as a not too regular "back end" user (if it ain't broke....) i find step-by-step tutorials in a more static form much more useful. For the same reason I was/am still unhappy that there is no (!) way to generate a printed/pdf version of the current documentation. Some of us still happily use or need (some) paper with jotted exclamation marks in order to learn from our mistakes...

Extending the search capabilities (with targeted results in stead of too full text) and hyperlinking inside the documentation would save very much time and effort.

I have been using TTG solutions since before you came up with its beautiful, Korea inspired name, and in spite of all tech giants trying to make our life easier, many of your solutions are still one of a kind. Tutorials and better documentation however would doubtless draw many more clients who are fed up with the big company's inflexibility and lack of customization options. Maybe your first target in the past was the professional photography community to which I do not belong, which in practice means that for lack of routine I every once in a while face the need to re-invent the wheel for my (new) sites. As a final remark in this context I would point to a number of reviews and comparisons where a degree of un-intuitiveness was associated with TTG's ever evolving solutions. Although I think there would historically be logic in that, I agree that there's room for improvement here.

I hope this will help in some way. You did ask for it....
Cheers,

(another)Michael.

Matthew · 2019-04-14 12:32:02

Yep, all good feedback. I'm just trying to carve out more time to work on some of this. Thanks.

LilHelpHere · 2019-10-10 19:34:26

Thank you for inviting the community to provide input. I'm a long time member, and happy to have TTG tools
Some more info at the top would be great
the Client Response Add-on MUST be installed [a link to get and install http://theturninggate.net/backlight-2/ under add-ons tab]
[some instructions on installing add-on server side]
Backlight Modules area of the admin [location within Backlight 2]
To get started [must assign client first?] [instructions adding client]
You may have up to six pieces of metadata on display; use Metadata Tokens [syntax guidelines?] [where (in template, page or album)]
Info on what's needed Lightroom Publish side
any troubleshooting, or FAQ, or link to forum might be good
Thanks

rod barbee · 2019-10-10 21:20:32

You may have up to six pieces of metadata on display; use Metadata Tokens [syntax guidelines?] [where (in template, page or album)]

There’s a link to to the metadata token documentation in the template at the start of the Add-on > Metadata section.
The metadata itself will appear in the Feedback pop-up box.

Installing add-ons: http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … on_modules

Managing clients and other useful info can be found below Next Steps on the main docs page:
http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … next_steps

LilHelpHere · 2019-10-11 06:00:51

Those exact links would be perfect added to the page that Matt was originally referencing IMO
http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … t_response
I've been to the metadata token page, and exactly how to enter them was assumed for the most part. [at one point {filename} appeared on published page]
I'm embarrassed to be the fool who suggests to make things more foolproof
Thank you

Last edited by LilHelpHere (2019-10-12 11:48:17)

Community @ The Turning Gate

#1 2019-04-01 07:18:02

Updating documentation

#2 2019-04-01 18:07:04

Re: Updating documentation

#3 2019-04-02 13:06:13

Re: Updating documentation

#4 2019-04-02 20:27:41

Re: Updating documentation

#5 2019-04-02 23:27:25

Re: Updating documentation

#6 2019-04-10 08:08:12

Re: Updating documentation

#7 2019-04-14 12:32:02

Re: Updating documentation

#8 2019-10-10 19:34:26

Re: Updating documentation

#9 2019-10-10 21:20:32

Re: Updating documentation

#10 2019-10-11 06:00:51

Re: Updating documentation

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