What do you use for template documentation ?

We are going to release our Magento Templates at Themeforest from next month, so we need to create the documentation for each template now.

I dont want to use Documentor , as users are not okay with html , css , images folder and they get confused.

I simply need a way, so I can have a readymade template with our own header, footer , contents , titles, pages , and we can save to PDF and thats all.

And whenever we want to edit it, we can simply import the PDF and edit right from there.

What tools do you guys normally use ?

Adobe Acrobat X Pro.

I use HTML documentation exclusively. I’ve never had a customer have a problem with it. It also allows you to publish online and easily link to relevant sections when answering questions.

Plus you can embed videos, embed code, add sensible navigation, provide easier searching, etc.

I highly recommend going that route

Hi QUBESYS ,

I basically use vector based programs like Macromedia FreeHand (Oooopsss, Adobe) or CorelDraw to build my help files, and then export them as PDFs

Wish you good luck with your template.

sevenspark said
I use HTML documentation exclusively. I’ve never had a customer have a problem with it. It also allows you to publish online and easily link to relevant sections when answering questions.

Plus you can embed videos, embed code, add sensible navigation, provide easier searching, etc.

I highly recommend going that route

Before my latest 3 templates I was stupidly using PDF . Then I realised the scale of stupidity and now prepare html documentation only, because of–see Sevenspark quotation.

For first theme I stupidly used all these html, css, images folder, etc. You know, it was overloaded, not elegant looking. Then I realised the scale of stupidity and now prepare PDF documentation only.

I use HTML documentation

Pixelous said
For first theme I stupidly used all these html, css, images folder, etc. You know, it was overloaded, not elegant looking. Then I realised the scale of stupidity and now prepare PDF documentation only.

I as if did not notice your ungrounded sarcasm, I forgive you.

The question: how do you cope with things you forgot to add? For me it was the main point why I switched to html. Let’s say, I wrote a file, submitted template and in a day or two realised that something was forgotten. To bother TF team with reuploading the file is not very convenient, at least I feel so.

Second thing: if you need to add some code example, how do you do that? I use js highlight script, for me it looks and works better than plain copied/pasted piece of code.

Third thing, PDF does not allow embedded video, right? If you need to add some video tutorial– explanation you can place only link, not video itself, do you find it more effective?

I also use js smooth scroll for navigation and “to the top” button (like in websites), I think it makes a boring reading of documentation a little bit more comfortable (and even entertaining) for a customer.

As for elegance, well, depends how you make your html file. Mine I tried to make not less attractive and beautiful than a template itself.

At the moment I use Google Docs… at the end I will save the thing as PDF …

+1 For HTML documentation. Easy to scale, easy to use.