I joined recently. How can I help?

Hi, everyone.

I joined this mailing list recently.

I recently responded to two emails on the libreoffice-users mailing list, writing about SQL joins and grep, and Tom Davies emailed me about helping with documentation.

Specifically, Tom wrote about helping proofread the Base documentation while the regular proofreader is away for two weeks.

A little about myself: I'm into free software. I use Trisquel (trisquel.info), which tries to be a fully free Linux distribution. It is a derivative of Ubuntu. It is what the Free Software Foundation (fsf.org) uses. My most recent programming language is Python. In the past, I used SQL and databases. I tried Base long ago, but have almost no experience with it. My only fluent language is English.

Let me know how I can help, with the Base documentation or other things.

Thank you.

Winston

I have two chapters in the Base Guide that could use someone to review them: Planning/Designing Your Database, and Data Input and Removal (Ch 2 and 3 respectively). I am working on chapter 4 (Data Output), and should have a draft of it ready for review before the end of the month. It is this chapter that I could use your opinions on chapter 4 specifically on the Query section that deals with using SQL when I finish.

--Dan

Hi :slight_smile:
I was thinking that a good start would be helping complete the Base Handbook.  How far has the handbook got so far?  Would it be better for Winston to start on proof-reading translated chapters to check the English and technical sides?  Then Jean to do the final proof-reading and publish after she gets back?  I think a lot of chapters have already been through proof-reading but are there any that haven't or that could use an extra pass?  Anything that could help get the handbook out even faster?

On the other hand getting stuck straight into writing a chapter for the full guide would be fantastic.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Completing the Base Handbook might be a good idea also. Completing it would be nice. Chapter 5 discusses queries. This is the link where this can be gotten.
http://www.odfauthors.org/libreoffice/english/base-handbook/drafts

      My personal thinking is that chapters 2 and 3 might be easier to review for someone who has limited experience with Base because they deal with the basics. The later chapters of the Base Handbook discuss the more complex parts of Base. A working knowledge of Base is helpful for them. I'm thinking that the earlier chapters have already received reviews and at least some proofreading.
      Below is the link where my chapters can be gotten.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications
       So, here are a couple of choices that need someone to do some work on.

--Dan

Reviewing/editing chapters of the Base Handbook would be good. Tom incorrectly calls this "proofreading" but then goes on to correctly describe the (earlier) stage that's needed for most of the chapters, some of which have rough edges in the English after translation from German, as well as needing verification against Base itself. At some point we'll need to rationalise some of the terminology used by different translators, as discussed earlier on this list.

Check the Task List on the wiki for which chapters re at which stage of development. I think I've got one checked out, and I know I've been through some others, but several are awaiting attention.

Working on Dan's chapters for the Base Guide would be good too.

--Jean

Hi :) 
Thanks Jean :slight_smile: Good to know.  I think this is the tasks list?
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/UserGuideTasks#Base_Handbook
Ch1 & 6 (JHW and DEL) are checked out but there are plenty of others. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Yes, that's it. Thanks, Tom.

Looks like someone's put me down for translating the reports chapter.

If Robert can mail me the latest version, I'll get down to it.

Hi Hazel,

Hi :slight_smile:
Thanks Jean :slight_smile: Good to know. I think this is the tasks list?
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/UserGuideTasks#Base_Handbook
Ch1 & 6 (JHW and DEL) are checked out but there are plenty of
others. Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Looks like someone's put me down for translating the reports chapter.

If Robert can mail me the latest version, I'll get down to it.

Isn't it the version at this place:
http://www.odfauthors.org/libreoffice/english/base-handbook/reviewed/base-h-b-ch6-reports/view

All I have reviewed I have updated there.
I hope you aren't looking for a newer German version. We will update the
German Handbuch when LO 4.0.1 would be the actual version. But it isn't
ready yet.

Regards

Robert

Hi :slight_smile:
If you are down as doing the translation but are not actually doing it then you can always just edit the wiki to let people know it's free for anyone to have a go at.  Don't feel pressured into it.  Are you sure you haven't already done it and it's just sitting on your machine waiting to be uploaded?

Obviously we do we a 1st version out there as soooon as possible but you are allowed to breathe and do stuff in the fake-world too. 
Many thanks and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hazel, my apologies. I thought you had said some time ago that you had started on that one, so I added your initials.
Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
The main thing is it got spotted and sorted.  Considering all the work you guys and ladies all do it's amazing that doesn't happen more often and it wasn't a big deal anyway. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Wow, Jean was right! I have done that one. I must have done it before
the chapter on queries. Strangely I had no memory of it until I
downloaded it and looked at it again. I hope this isn't the beginning of dementia!

Hi :slight_smile:
Lol, so all is right with the world again.  Hazel's ahead of herself and Jean's right.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi :slight_smile:
I just asked the Users List6 if anyone there is able to have a quick read through the 2 chapters of the full guide that Dan completed recently.  I figured that anyone already in the Docs Team might be best off getting involved in the translation of the Handbook but that there might be a couple of people that could find the time to help with just those 2 chapters now they are so nearly ready.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: