DynamicPageList3 Manual talk:Feedback: Difference between revisions

I was intending to convert most examples to parser function syntax, given most want to be able to do more than the parser tag method allows (I have not run into one person yet who this hasn't been the case withfor). This was a common complaint with the old manual that I intended to rectify (that examples weren't usablea good starting point because it didn't present content in the most-needed syntax). From a teaching/learning perspective, it's easier to learn the best-practice/more-flexible parser function syntax first, and then simplify from there if desired, than it is to learn the simple syntax and have to essentially re-learn how to do things in parser function syntax, afterwards (easier to give a horse their head to run, than it is to take it away while tring to run). Also:

* I intentionally didn't add syntax highlighting to examples, since parser function sytaxsyntax would make little to no use of this (and there is one part {{DPL|format|in the manual}} that explicitly states, "you can also use HTML syntax for the tags, although this is discouraged", though I don't know the reason for that, I had plannedintended askingto ask CA if he knew ''why'' that was the case). If HTML tags should be removed, there'd be no sense to add thisHTML syntax highlighting, as it would highlight nothing.

* More importantly, I also didn't add syntax highlighting to the examples because the examples are preloaded into source-edit sandbox sections, for users to manipulate, and I wanted them to be able to focus on the examples and not get caught up within any extra unexplained wiki formatting, divs, tags, classes tags etc., (which is why I would recommend not adding anything other than a <code><nowiki><pre></pre></nowiki></code> around these (otherwise would need to be explained in the examples and could confuse the learning at hand, which is why I left it off intentionally--though I did initially consider it). Some also have little to know knowledge of divs etc., which are harder to explain.

* I also wouldn't recommend placing the results of examples in blockquotes (or any other formatting) for appearance’s sake. I'm aware this would be nicer to look at, however since blockquotes are part of wiki syntax, and wiki syntax is used in examples (and pre-loadedpreloaded to sandbox too)... it would cause a need to explain these again,or each timeexplain that blockquotes are not part of the result, which wouldcould quickly become cumbersome and redundant or confusing (nor would doing in one place or once per page suffice, since few read manuals in their entirety, rather more often using them for reference). I had concerns about even doing this for a "pre" tagtags, but that's a bare necessary (that I still need to explain somewhere, but forgot to). This is the reason I'm keeping these as simple as is possible, unless the example itself is complex, in which case the focus ofshould anyideally learningbe only on the complexity shouldof (hopefully)the onlymatter to be learned itself (the example, contentand nothing extraneous). Another of complaint with the old manual was that users couldn't coherently source-edit to see the contents of an example, and better understand what it was doing because there was too much either added/extra "stuff" going on, or unexplained stuff not explained/linked that needed to be (what's essential to inspecting the example components and nothing more/less). Many gave up on the extension as a result, citing the manual was too hard to understand. I'd like to (hopefully) avoid those same pitfalls.

Given I have cognitive and communication problems, it's very hard for me to stop and explain my rationale with each idea/suggestion. My working memory and multitasking ability is frankly terrible, stopping and starting to do so is very had for me (a personal flaw from my difficulties, that I wish I could change, as I know it's not ideal). I know the logic behind why I'm approaching things a certain way, unfortunately my ability to stop and think about, to synthesize, and to communicate this coherently in writing is also impaired, it takes more time than I have to sit down and just edit a bit each day, since I also have problems doing that for length of time (or writing at all). It can take me longer than an hour or two to write a reply like this due to my neuro-thing, which is then hard for me to continue the other work. My apologies for not having the bandwidth (nor ability) to explain better and switch between tasks (I hadn't anticipated this need so early on this wiki, and maybe I should have). These are the reasons I'm needing to hit pause, it's better if CA or someone else oversees, and I can work on bits and pieces on my own wiki at my leisure. I can always copy things I'm working on over later if they look useful, and if the content hasn't substantively taken a different direction meanwhile. If it has, I can keep my version for my own (and my wiki's) personal use, so the effort is good either way. :) [[User:FrozenPlum|FrozenPlum]] ([[User talk:FrozenPlum|talk]]) 04:49, 18 April 2022 (UTC)