[OpenLayers-Trac] Discussion: Why is everything so difficult?

[Narelle Irvine]

Please do not abuse me for this posting. I am serious, and have spent a lot
of time investigating resources, examples, html and js support, etc. I am
not asking for specific code help, but would like to start a discussion
about the way the Openlayers community communicates.

I do not have a coding background, I am training in mapping. I also do some
volunteer web work, and appreciate the effort put in. In fact, my reason
for wanting to make web maps is a volunteer project for the Kosciuszko Huts
Association <http://khuts.org>. I am not criticising, just highlighting
some areas that would make what appears to be a great opensource project
easier to come to grips with.

But I am finding trying to get a reasonably simple OL map up and running
very difficult.

One of the maps I am working on is
here<http://quartzspatial.net/home/maps/khamobilemap.html>.
I want this map to be available as an android app, where there is no
internet access. The initial things I would like to do are add geolocation,
remove the mapnik layer, increase the size of the navigation and layer
switcher icons and label the mountains.  But I have had no success with any
of these things.

The examples are useful, but every time I try to add a piece of
functionality, my map goes blank. Occassionally this is because I have not
closed brackets.  I can fix that. But most of the time I cannot work out
what is wrong.

I think that there are a few problems here:

1. Examples do not share a common structure, so adding a piece of text from
one does not necessarily work with an existing page developed from another
example.
2. Examples rarely contain enough comments to explain what each section
does. It would be really nice if the eamples clearly stated which sections
were needed for the functionality, and which were the base sections for
displaying data.
3. For me at least, documentation is easier to use than the examples.
4. Openlayers.mobile.js is mentioned, and some examples given, but very
little support. The script is a lightweight version (which makes perfect
sense if you do not want to do much with the map). However I want some of
the features in this script, and some from the full script. Again, I cannot
work out how to incorporate sections of a full working example.
5. I cannot find a simple method for searching the archives for this list.
The "Search Mailing Lists" at the User discussion page returns an HTTP
Error: 500. Why is it an email list rather than a forum?

I realise that it is not as interesting, but improving the documentation is
to me more important than creating new functionality. I would become
involved, but do not have the skills required.

Regards,
-- 
Narelle Irvine
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