https://github.com/user-docs/userdocs_clients

https://github.com/user-docs/userdocs_clients

Last synced: 3 months ago
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• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/user-docs/userdocs_clients
• Owner: user-docs
• Created: 2021-05-29T17:51:05.000Z (over 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2022-05-20T05:07:45.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-05-09T05:17:52.736Z (6 months ago)
• Language: TypeScript
• Size: 10.8 MB
• Stars: 2
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: readme.md

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README

        
![UserDocs Logo](docs/images/logo.png)

# UserDocs

## Automated Screenshot Collection for Web-Based Software

In 1983, Apple revolutionized the computing industry with the release of the Macintosh. With it, they released the first user manual we could find that included screenshots of their GUI. This manual included gems such as:

![Macintosh Screenshot](docs/images/macintosh_screenshot.png)

This was the first time most people would see an annotated screenshot of a computer application. If you thumb through [the manual](http://www.maccaps.com/MacCaps/DIY_Information_files/Macintosh_Manual_1984.pdf) you'll find hundreds of screenshots that someone manually collected, annotated, and included in the manual. 

Almost 40 years later most technical writers are still manually collecting and annotating screenshots. The process of manual screenshot collection and annotation is incredibly monotonous and time-consuming. Every time the software changes, the screenshots are out of date, and must be updated. For companies that ship code rapidly, technical writers can feel like they are always behind as they update their documentation.

## Automate with UserDocs

UserDocs can fully automate the screenshot collection, and annotation process. It provides a way to interactively author automated processes, and run them.

![UserDocs Architecture](docs/images/userdocs_architecture.png)

UserDocs ships:

* A server, which is used to author automated screenshot collection processes

* A desktop client, which runs a local Chrome instance on the users machine, and executes automated processes interactively

* A CI/CD client, which runs independently, queries the UserDocs server, and executes automated processes on a headless browser

* The CI/CD client can also interact with an existing QA pipeline. Include the runner in your QA script, pass it a browser instance, and tell it to execute a job, and it will do so in the context of your existing pipeline. We are very early stage, and only support JavaScript + puppeteer, but if you are interested in using the product, open an issue with your requirements, and we'll be in touch.

## Results

By using UserDocs, you can automatically generate screenshots like this, and insert them into your CI/CD pipeline. UserDocs diffs collected screenshots against the existing version as they are collected. Review and approve all changes before they are released to your storage bucket. 

![UserDocs Architecture](docs/images/element_subform_reference.png)

The UserDocs application generated all the screenshots in our documentation.