Help system
The most basic definition of Monterey is very simple (as stated in the README.md file of the Monterey GitHub repository:
Monterey is an extensible application that provides a graphical user interface for a collection of tools to simplify the creation, configuration and maintenance of Aurelia applications.
Upon more inspection, the interested user will soon get the impression that it is a complex tool being able to do many very different things:
Managing the process of application building and running with built in features like
- Defining the details of application build process
as well as several other services that are still under the development. So, the AureliaTools team has spent a lot of time to provide several different types of documentation of documentation starting with this very document - Monterey user manual.
Knowing that there is a significant "class" of software developers who do not like to read extensive manuals. They typpically prefer to dive "right in", by starting the Monterey and look around by clicking on any part of Monterey user interface. It is for them that we added two more "entries" into the help system:
1. Live tour of the user interface
This approach is built for first time users, so it covers Monterey's main view and it is accessible to first time users.
2. Tooltip based help
Note:
In order to allow the activation of the Live tour of the user interface at a later time, we provided the "hidden door" described below:
Step 1: Click on the Preferences button on Monterey's toolbar, activate the Show development tools? feature (marker 1) and click on the Save button (marker 2)
Image 1
This action will result with the new (hidden by default) Developer button (Image 2, marker 1), which provides access to less frequently used features.
Image 2
Click on the Close and start tour button will (can you guess?) close the Developer panel and you will find yourself in the situation depicted on
Live tour of the user interface, Image 1.