Help Wanted: Spare 1 hr every week -> Fix the ERPNext Documentation

Hello Community,

I had an interesting email conversation with @davidgal was a part of the core team at Joomla on running an open source project.

I realized that we are dependant too much on our internal resources to keep the project going and are missing out on getting help from the community. Since we have been doing this for almost 7 years now, I guess we did not realize this.

The big picture is that if ERPNext has to grow as a community project, we would need many more people contributing than just ourselves. Our goal as Frappe is not to take venture funding and make an “enterprise” version that will be paid. We want this to be an open source project in the true sense.

I understand most of you are not developers and there is always an issue of how you can help. So here is where you can help. Fix the documentation

As you know the documentation for ERPNext (https://manual.erpnext.com) is pretty sparse and we would love your help in updating it.

The documentation repo is also on GitHub: GitHub - frappe/manual_erpnext_com: Abandoned. Moved to: https://github.com/frappe/erpnext/tree/develop/erpnext/docs.

All you have to do is fork the repo, fix the page and send a pull-request. If anyone needs GitHub help, we are happy to give. All of these are markdown pages and it should be easy to fix.

Here is want I am thinking. Acore group of volunteers should head this. We can discuss issues on the Issues Page of the manual repo. To incentivize, we can add a page of contributors and add the names of all those who have contributed to this.

Would love someone from the community to take charge of this.

Just calling out a few active members (from the forum list of recent+active) who can take charge.

CC: @adityaduggal @bobzz_zone @BhupeshGupta @williamjmorenor @Geetanjali @3ddeveloper @sunilsrikumar @kolate_sambhaji @Jonathan_Fanny_Lie @hpema108 @rydersaint @geekroot @jvermette @luisfmfernandes @Dhamu @shraddha @ruchin78 @amruthp @monojoker @lleleu @Francois_Ifitwala @revant_one @System19 @jlx @inventobd

6 Likes

Hi Rushabh,

I would love to assist but I have a small request. I stumbled upon erpnext and initially I was somewhat reluctant to look at it as it was a linux dev project. But after playing with it for some time I decided to at least have a look, and over come my lack of linux skill and upskill :wink:

I have installed it a couple of times on a vm and I think im comfortable with at least getting it up and running.

My major issue is trying to contribute in a way I understand. I want to start to use the application more, get to learn more about its good and bad features and able to code features. But at this stage its slow as im trying to get the dev environment up and running in a way I can understand the code. I have submitted a post in the forum regarding this Pycharm Debugging but no response from anyone as yet. Im assuming that Pycharm or an ide is not used for dev. If I can get this working I can at least start to run around erpnext, learn more the flows and finally have a plan to contribute back the costing model I prefer. I did communicate to you the “exact” cost model, but I think the timing to doing this was to extensive and I was suggested to add this as a contribution.

All to happy to add what I learn, both towards the docs and features and bugs, but without an environment that will allow me to easily do this its going to be harder.

So if we can start with the dev docs - that would be great. As the objective is to get the community to contribute.

regards
Hemant

Hi. Thanks for the offer. I thinks you are right. That is what i’am trying to do.
My ideia is make some apps and hope that some one help make it better and that way help to grow Frappe. I like to integrate, that’s why i make jasper integration.

I’am alone, so it takes some time and i do not have anyone to discuss with.

This is my vision!

Has i said in another discuss i am now making meteor.js integration (with or without react.js). This has two separated componentes one for web and another for app/desk. My ideia is decouple web from frappe but at the same time link them.
What is the benefits of this integration and decouple?
Frappe can have reactivity in the web and in desk at the same time. The web part can be distributed by several servers.

Imagine doing this in realtime:

  1. From desk change the publicity of one sidebar or another strategical frame. Just only the image or all the publicity… A sidebar reactive.
  2. Add some product in the site from desk, change the headlines…
  3. Chat with your customer to help them.
  4. And i have two really cool ideias for ecommerce that i do not reveal yet… And that i thinks any ecommerce must have and don’t!
  5. Of course when your customer by some think on your site Erpnext will be automatically updated. Stock, Invoice, etc.
  6. And more!!!

Thats why i start by make jasper integration!

So, if some programmer out there is interested in this project and have some to add is welcome. That way we can speed up the develop.

But i would like very much that the Frappe team support this with code and ideias… This can not be possible with full integration if Frappe team does not support… I can be in charge of the project because i already started but i fill more save if i know that i have your support!! We can discuss some ideias and the way that the project can envolve.

I see your ideia of reactivity and is the way that should be, i think right now is very limited, but is the way that this project is taking.

Now stop for a moment and think! We with a team of programmers (community!) can make must better than Magento (sorry my optimism). I have seen their structure and the way things are done and it is a mess! But work!

We have must of the work done (with Frappe and Erpnext). The integration with Frappe/Erpnext make it an ideal platform for ecommerce.

Meteor.js make two of my ideias (That two ideias that i don’t tell you!!) work! And they have must of the work done too. And realtime in ecommerce is some thing that is necessary to move to another fase of ecommerce. And we can be pioneers once there is no ecommerce so reactive.

You may think why need we need reactivity in ecommerce! Stop for a moment again and think in some things that you can add to ecommerce if you make it reactive. So my thought is… we need!

Don’t forget that what in some way made Apple what is now was is vision and the little thinks… people love little things and new ideias.

Thanks for read this.

@luisfmfernandes

Realtime updates are coming in Frappe 6 via Async and Node.js. Have a look at:

  1. https://github.com/frappe/frappe/tree/v6-wip
  2. https://i.imgur.com/FPfZtZ3.gif

Maybe you can use this to get your desired features up and running without going into meteor. It will save your time :slight_smile:

-Anand.

1 Like

@hpema108 @luisfmfernandes Thanks for your replies!

My focus was something more immediate, how to fix the documentation. I want to invite someone from the community to take leadership, organize around this project. Its not a very intense project but if someone can organize users to contribute one hour per week, we can get a lot of things done. Also can lead to further involvement in the project.

3 Likes

+1 I sent some minors fixes to the documentation, so I will take a look of
this

@rmehta and team, I am also happy to help. If necessary I can attempt to co-ordinate the documentation fixes but will just need some direction from yourself on what you see as priorities. I do have some PM experience which I might (finally) put to some use :smile:

Feel free to post your thoughts or email me with any ideas you had. I might need some assistance with Github and the fork process although it appears from your description the process is quite easy.

I can hopefully assist best with Selling module as that is our focus and main area of use. We are beginning to run Stock to keep inventory including that of customers as well so as I progress in our area with that I should be able to update documentation as I go and learn at the same time.

Cheers
Liam.

Sure its will be my pleasure to help on updating it…

@monojoker @bobzz_zone @williamjmorenor Thanks!

@anand has updated the readme instructions at: GitHub - frappe/manual_erpnext_com: Abandoned. Moved to: https://github.com/frappe/erpnext/tree/develop/erpnext/docs

@monojoker you can be the PM. How do you want to do this? I will volunteer too :slight_smile: Should we create a separate google groups for this project?

@rmehta

I want to contribute more in ERPNext, But I am confuse which topic need to take first and more important.

For documentation.

  • I saw some broken links

  • some old v4 images which needs to be replace with v5.

  • Need to update developer tutorial

It will be good if you or anyone from community guide us.
Set milestone for modules/documents like this https://launchpad.net/sahana-eden/+milestones

Developer mailing list or google group aslo good option, where developer will get help in real time.

@kolate_sambhaji yes milestones is a good idea. The key is that someone from the community can take leadership. I guess priority should be

  1. fix broken links
  2. fix old images
  3. adding missing pages
  4. expand features in existing pages
  5. link to the new videos
1 Like

Sure…I can help. But since I am user, not developer…so I can do it on functional areas… I’ll try to see the instruction…

@rmehta
I am ready to give functional support since I am not much aware with this technology.
Also, I can lead the project, if you want but I just need your guidance for the same in context of technology you are using.

I have created a special group for this, so lets move the discussion there!

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!members/erpnext-docs

3 Likes

@rmehta

I’m not a seasoned developer, but would (at the moment) help with the documentation and translations. That’s not a problem.

PD: Can someone advise on what to “dominate” on programming and technologies to work with ERPNext, somewhat like a general roadmap?

Thanks

@william check this https://frappe.github.io/frappe/user/tutorial/before.html

I can help documents once I get the technical side sorted …