I know, you guys got a lot of stuff going on and are working all the time to keep everything up and running. Still I got the little request of an updated complete App documentation. Many times, when I'm working on my stuff, I just need a quick answer without the need of either going through hundreds of posts to find an answer to a simple question or cluttering the forum with new threads. So I would really appreciate, If you guys could give as an updated, complete documentation of the latest apps, at least the ones, you are going to maintain, like Rule 5.1, Room Lightning etc.
If you click on the Documentation link in the top left of the Community page when viewed in a larger screen like a PC browser, click on Apps, then you should see a list of the Apps and links to documentation on each one, including the new ones like Room Lighting.
I know that, but it is not the issue. The problem I have, is that this is, especially in the case of Rule 5.1, not a complete description of how things work and how to use them.
It seems to me that's something that users could help with if there's anyone with time to spare who feels like being generous with it. Didn't someone start a wiki?
Right now @bertabcd1234 I believe is working to update documentation. Do you have an example of something you feel should be covered but wasn't or wasn't covered properly?
Tsk.... details.... which I would also ask for if it was about 6 hours earlier....
I guess @Vincent_The_Staat doesn't know what he doesn't know, and it has been when he has gone searching for information that he has found the current documentation lacking. So he is not wanting to set the parameters for the HE staff, who he made the request of, he expects they will know the parameters they need to deliver on. If @bertabcd1234 can deliver the necessary documentation for RM, then all is good....
The official Hubitat Documentation is a WiKi already. If any users would like to contribute, they will need to request permission to do so, to keep it from becoming the Wild West of documentation.
Do you think there is room for an unofficial one as well? Lots of topics do have both. And those who have official access can perhaps occasionally assess and "borrow" from the best of the unofficial one. I mean you may get good material from someone inspired to write suddenly who may no longer be in the mood if they've had to organise applying for formal access and save the official team from having to write everything from scratch themselves
Do you have an example that isn't covered? The Rule 5.1 docs are brand new, a complete rewrite of even the 5.0 docs (because they were a minor modification to the 4.0 docs that themselves assumed you knew how Rule 3.x worked). They are still getting added to, and some things I would like are indeed missing, but I think the core of how the app works is there. Just want to make sure that what I think is missing is what end users think is missing, too.
A few, like restore device, write to local file, append to local file, delete local file, comment etc. I can guess, what those do, but I have no idea if this is right and how to set those up. And having this in mind, I can't determine, if those features are even useful for my specific set-up. Same with hub variables or run costume action. I know, it is covered in several threads, but those are complicated topics, which are in dire need of a more simple explanation in the documentation, then the one, which is presented now.
And please, don't get me wrong, I know, that you can always ask in the forum and there a several people, like you, who are more than willing to help, and I really appreciate that, but a little more information on those topics in the documentation, best in a simplified way, would be of such a help, especially for people either starting out or dumdums like me, who just need a little more time to figure some things out.
See, that's where the problem starts. You should never assume, that someone knows, how previous versions of anything worked. One should always have the newbie in mind, when writing a documentation.
Overall, there is no mistake from my side, that Hubitat is a great product and the staff and the community is trying their best to support everyone, but this specific point is just something that really bugs me.
To be clear, I agree, and that is why I started re-writing the Rule documentation. (Previous documentation was not written by me, and--from what I can tell--was mostly taken from what staff wrote here to help existing users learn.) But it's still new, and Rule is large app, so it will take some time--both because of that fact but also higher-priority items (not sure I'm allowed to shre what that is yet) and the fact that this is a free-time contract gig, not my full-time job.
I appreciate the comments on what you find missing. I will keep those in mind as the document matures. (I can't guarantee I'll add everything anyone mentions, particularly with features like hub variables that have nearly any use one could imagine, but these are still good things to know.)
