Docs: Contributing to end user documentation using Playground

[adamziel]

Let's write a page that explains how useful Playground can be for contributing to WordPress documentation for end users.

A few ideas on what to cover:

• Preparing Playground sites for taking screenshots and recording videos.
• Changing WordPress and PHP versions
• Installing translations (another Blueprint) to take localized screenshots (and the related limitations).
• Saving the test sites for later (e.g. via ZIP Export or via GitHub export, example in @annezazu's repo).
• Preparing Blueprints to quickly recreate the test sites, change their configuration, and share them with others.
• Linking to live examples in Playground (via Blueprints).

Done is

• A Pull Request for this repository proposing a new documentation page at packages/docs/site/docs/02-start-using/02-how-to-contribute-end-user-documentation-using-playground.md
• Any limitations encountered documented as a PR for the limitations page (could be the same PR).
• A YouTube video would be amazing

Related resources

• Introduction to Playground
• Blueprints 101
• Existing Playground documentation
• Contributing to Playground documentation.

[Leonardus-Nugraha]

@adamziel I would like to contribute to this, but probably for a partial draft (not a complete page), and I will post it as a comment in this issue. Is that okay? Can you add me as an assignee?

[malgrauk]

Happy to help with this one

[Leonardus-Nugraha]

Contributing to the End User Documentation Using Playground

WordPress end-user documentation refers to guides and instructions created specifically for people who use a WordPress website to publish content, manage pages, and perform other basic tasks.

To provide clear and easy-to-understand instructions on how to navigate WordPress, contributors need to provide relevant visuals (images or videos). Playground can be a handy tool as it's easy to set up and can be configured to a specific WordPress version.

Preparing a Playground site for taking screenshots and recording videos

Before setting up a Playground site for contributing to the end-user documentation, it's best to see what WordPress version is needed for the request. You can see this on the end user documentation GitHub issue label.

Once you know that, simply open https://playground.wordpress.net/, and it will create a default WordPress site with the latest version released. If it's different from what you need to work on the issue, you can change it by clicking the configurator at the top right to customize the Playground, and change the WordPress version. It is also possible to change the PHP version if you need it.

Once the Playground site is set up with the correct WordPress version, you can go to the dashboard from the top admin panel either by clicking the link on the drop-down menu or by typing wp-admin on the URL bar.

[malgrauk]

Exporting and Importing Playground sessions

When using WordPress Playground, the session is live in your browser window. No data is saved or stored in any location, and resets when you leave the site.

Therefore you may wish to consider taking regular backups of any test work you do, to ensure you are able to continue where you left off from if you close your browser, or wish to return at a later point to where you were, or share information with other people.

There are currently two export options available

• Export as .zip
• Export to GitHub

Export as .zip

You can export your current configuration by clicking on the menu icon and choosing Download as .zip from the options provided

This will then download a local copy to your computer.

Importing as .zip

To import, simply choose the 'Restore from .zip' option on the same menu and follow the prompts. You'll be able to upload a copy of a previously exported WordPress Playground site.

[malgrauk]

Importing from GitHub

You can import plugins, themes and wp-content directories directly from your public GitHub repository. This is handy if you have a number of commonly used plugins or themes which you want to start using directly in the WordPress Playground environment.

Note: You will lose any progress in your current WordPress Playground environment when you Connect your GitHub account. Therefore, if you wish to retain any changes you will need to download these as a .zip file first before continuing.

From the menu, choose the 'Import from GitHub option

A prompt will appear to warn you that any data will be lost - after following the instructions provided, check the 'I exported my Playground as zip.' option and then select 'Connect your GitHub account'

[adamziel]

All good work, than you so much @Leonardus-Nugraha @malgrauk !

@malgrauk it would also be useful to touch on the expected structure of that GitHub repository, as in what directories it needs to have for the feature to work.

You can import plugins, themes and wp-content directories directly from your public GitHub repository

It's worth noting that plugins and themes published on wp.org can also be preinstalled using Query API or the Blueprints API.

Also, tangentially, I recently found another application for the GitHub integration: https://github.com/adamziel/playground-docs-workflow