Big changes are coming to the Help Bar!

Comments for “Big changes are coming to the Help Bar!”
Posted by Davcon on Tuesday 28th November 2023 at 18:02 GMT Recently, I've noticed some valid technical support requests that, in my view, lacked clarity and didn't get much help. It's disappointing. Just to state the obvious, poorly described issues hinder potential helpers. This results in vague questions receiving inadequate responses. My past experience learning Yii2 reflects this issue. I struggled to get help as a newcomer and ended up offering cash on the forum, which wasn't well-received. Consequently, I stopped learning Yii2 and eventually created Trongate. I'm eager to do whatever it takes to make sure anyone who has a legitimate technical issue gets help. Therefore, we'll soon be introducing the following changes: When you ask a question, you'll be given the option of getting a guaranteed response for a nominal fee of just $10. This incentivizes both clear questions and guaranteed quality answers. The general workings of the Help Bar will be the same and you'll still be able to ask questions for free. However, when a thread is marked as 'resolved' - and when we're dealing with (what I'm calling) a priority question - answerers will get 70% of revenue from threads that they resolved. The remaining 30% will go towards PayPal fees as well as Lamborghini fees. I'll post a YouTube video shortly with more details. In the meantime, thank you for being here and always code with an expectations of success! DC	Davcon User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 3/11/2018
Winning Answer! Posted by DaFa on Tuesday 28th November 2023 at 21:13 GMT Hi DC, Great suggestion. Other nice to haves, would be the ability to upload screen shots and/ or links to videos. I think most people having issues expressing their problem is language. A set of basic questions would be great too. Cheers, Si	DaFa User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 30/11/2018
Posted by Davcon on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 11:01 GMT Thank you. Could you help me to come up with some kind of form that will allow people to give you all of the information you need to help solve problems easily? I'm assuming it'll be a bunch of questions such as: 1). What is your BASE_URL value (as found in config.php)? 2). What is it that you are trying to do, broadly speaking? 3). What did you expect to happen? 4). What went wrong? 5). What URL were you on before something went wrong? ...etc You've solved far more issues than me here so you're the man and I'll be happy to take your advice on this. Same goes, of course, for Dan or anyone else who wants to participate in this. Nobody who visits the Help Bar should ever leave disappointed. I take this seriously and I think it's very important for the success of the framework. Let's make the Help Bar magic! This comment was edited by Davcon on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 11:02 GMT	Davcon User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 3/11/2018
Posted by djnordeen on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 23:22 GMT Is there an error message? Maybe have a link to a page the has some general troubleshooting methods. Give an example of using json($data, true) Maybe include some of the techniques you, DC, use in problem solving issues. Obviously, become a member of your channel and watch you code. Because watching you code shows how to solve issues. Dan	djnordeen User Level: Early Adopter Date Joined: 20/08/2021
Posted by DaFa on Friday 1st December 2023 at 11:50 GMT Hi DC, Sorry for the slow response, I had some personal issues arise with Mum back in hospital and work taking all my other time with very little sleep between... I think you are on the right track - 1. gather system and dev environment: - version of the OS (PC, Linux or Mac) - dev environment/ stack are they using (Xampp, Mampp, Lampp, custom or others) - Trongate engine version (and any modifications made to it, if any) or display the OS version and webserver/ssl/php with PHP and insert into form <?php $os_version = php_uname('v'); $web_server = $_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE']; $php_version = phpversion(); //php version also embedded in $web_server - getting a database version and type requires credentials, so probably easier to just ask what db (MySQL or MariaDB version they are using. 2. agree with your points above (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) 3. a code snippet is always handy - a full upload of the controller, view and/ or assets or screenshots/ or YouTube link would be nice. I understand that sometimes the user might not want to share their full code, so, as a last resort they can use the code snippet tags we have already. 4. Yes, Dan is correct - what is the error message they see? That would be a good start for now or am happy to jump into a Skype call to brainstorm it further. Cheers, Si This comment was edited by DaFa on Friday 1st December 2023 at 12:02 GMT	DaFa User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 30/11/2018
Posted by djnordeen on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 01:32 GMT Someone had a suggestion for the help bar. Suggestion (Your Questions) I also have a suggestion regarding the Help Bar. It would be helpful if a user can find the question he/she has posted in the forum without having to search or scroll through several questions. Maybe have a Search by username and a toggle button to set search field	djnordeen User Level: Early Adopter Date Joined: 20/08/2021
Posted by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 02:10 GMT Hi Dan, that already exists. Look to the right and click on the user name, then click the button "View All Posts From This User". However, searching/sorting by table header type would be useful, but we don't want to put more work onto DC than he already has. This comment was edited by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 02:14 GMT	DaFa User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 30/11/2018
Posted by vimkaf on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 09:49 GMT Hey DaFa It seems your view is different from ours. Check the screenshots below https://ibb.co/yyCSfyW https://ibb.co/vwkt6tc	vimkaf User Level: Level One Member Date Joined: 21/08/2023
Posted by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 12:05 GMT Hi vimkaf, Thanks for sharing those screenshots, but you are looking in the wrong place. Try here: https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225723.jpg Then click this button: https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225844.jpg And you should see this: https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225935.jpg	DaFa User Level: Founding Member Date Joined: 30/11/2018

Comments for “Big changes are coming to the Help Bar!”

Posted by Davcon on Tuesday 28th November 2023 at 18:02 GMT

Recently, I've noticed some valid technical support requests that, in my view, lacked clarity and didn't get much help. It's disappointing.

Just to state the obvious, poorly described issues hinder potential helpers. This results in vague questions receiving inadequate responses.

My past experience learning Yii2 reflects this issue. I struggled to get help as a newcomer and ended up offering cash on the forum, which wasn't well-received. Consequently, I stopped learning Yii2 and eventually created Trongate.

I'm eager to do whatever it takes to make sure anyone who has a legitimate technical issue gets help.

Therefore, we'll soon be introducing the following changes:

When you ask a question, you'll be given the option of getting a guaranteed response for a nominal fee of just $10. This incentivizes both clear questions and guaranteed quality answers.

The general workings of the Help Bar will be the same and you'll still be able to ask questions for free. However, when a thread is marked as 'resolved' - and when we're dealing with (what I'm calling) a priority question - answerers will get 70% of revenue from threads that they resolved. The remaining 30% will go towards PayPal fees as well as Lamborghini fees.

I'll post a YouTube video shortly with more details. In the meantime, thank you for being here and always code with an expectations of success!

DC

Davcon

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 3/11/2018

Winning Answer!

Posted by DaFa on Tuesday 28th November 2023 at 21:13 GMT

Hi DC,
Great suggestion. Other nice to haves, would be the ability to upload screen shots and/ or links to videos. I think most people having issues expressing their problem is language. A set of basic questions would be great too.

Cheers,
Si

DaFa

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 30/11/2018

Posted by Davcon on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 11:01 GMT

Thank you.

Could you help me to come up with some kind of form that will allow people to give you all of the information you need to help solve problems easily?

I'm assuming it'll be a bunch of questions such as:

1). What is your BASE_URL value (as found in config.php)?

2). What is it that you are trying to do, broadly speaking?

3). What did you expect to happen?

4). What went wrong?

5). What URL were you on before something went wrong?

...etc

You've solved far more issues than me here so you're the man and I'll be happy to take your advice on this. Same goes, of course, for Dan or anyone else who wants to participate in this.

Nobody who visits the Help Bar should ever leave disappointed. I take this seriously and I think it's very important for the success of the framework.

Let's make the Help Bar magic!

This comment was edited by Davcon on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 11:02 GMT

Davcon

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 3/11/2018

Posted by djnordeen on Thursday 30th November 2023 at 23:22 GMT

Is there an error message?

Maybe have a link to a page the has some general troubleshooting methods.
Give an example of using json($data, true)

Maybe include some of the techniques you, DC, use in problem solving issues.
Obviously, become a member of your channel and watch you code. Because watching you code shows how to solve issues.

Dan

djnordeen

User Level: Early Adopter

Date Joined: 20/08/2021

Posted by DaFa on Friday 1st December 2023 at 11:50 GMT

Hi DC,

Sorry for the slow response, I had some personal issues arise with Mum back in hospital and work taking all my other time with very little sleep between...

I think you are on the right track -
1. gather system and dev environment:
- version of the OS (PC, Linux or Mac)
- dev environment/ stack are they using (Xampp, Mampp, Lampp, custom or others)
- Trongate engine version (and any modifications made to it, if any)

or display the OS version and webserver/ssl/php with PHP and insert into form

<?php
$os_version = php_uname('v');
$web_server = $_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'];
$php_version = phpversion(); //php version also embedded in $web_server

- getting a database version and type requires credentials, so probably easier to just ask what db (MySQL or MariaDB version they are using.

2. agree with your points above (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)

3. a code snippet is always handy - a full upload of the controller, view and/ or assets or screenshots/ or YouTube link would be nice. I understand that sometimes the user might not want to share their full code, so, as a last resort they can use the code snippet tags we have already.

4. Yes, Dan is correct - what is the error message they see?

That would be a good start for now or am happy to jump into a Skype call to brainstorm it further.

Cheers,
Si

This comment was edited by DaFa on Friday 1st December 2023 at 12:02 GMT

DaFa

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 30/11/2018

Posted by djnordeen on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 01:32 GMT

Someone had a suggestion for the help bar.
Suggestion (Your Questions)
I also have a suggestion regarding the Help Bar. It would be helpful if a user can find the question he/she has posted in the forum without having to search or scroll through several questions.

Maybe have a Search by username and a toggle button to set search field

djnordeen

User Level: Early Adopter

Date Joined: 20/08/2021

Posted by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 02:10 GMT

Hi Dan, that already exists. Look to the right and click on the user name, then click the button "View All Posts From This User". However, searching/sorting by table header type would be useful, but we don't want to put more work onto DC than he already has.

This comment was edited by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 02:14 GMT

DaFa

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 30/11/2018

Posted by vimkaf on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 09:49 GMT

Hey DaFa It seems your view is different from ours. Check the screenshots below

https://ibb.co/yyCSfyW

https://ibb.co/vwkt6tc

vimkaf

User Level: Level One Member

Date Joined: 21/08/2023

Posted by DaFa on Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 12:05 GMT

Hi vimkaf,

Thanks for sharing those screenshots, but you are looking in the wrong place.

Try here:

https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225723.jpg

Then click this button:

https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225844.jpg

And you should see this:

https://ums.myds.me/img/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20225935.jpg

DaFa

User Level: Founding Member

Date Joined: 30/11/2018