Bug 143599 - Help Buttons for Save Remote Screens are confusing for non technical users
Summary: Help Buttons for Save Remote Screens are confusing for non technical users
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Documentation (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.3.0.0 alpha0+
Hardware: All Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-07-29 09:00 UTC by Colin
Modified: 2022-07-04 12:10 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


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Description Colin 2021-07-29 09:00:46 UTC
Description:
The Save remote function opens a panel "Remote Files" and the "HELP" button links to a set of instructions.

A Remote file service is required to be set up

Following the help steps to create this service also leads to a "Remote Files" panel

following the help steps for this screen provides an alternative help page

The 2nd and 3rd steps don't appear to exist in the Remote Files screen

The button's descriptor is a misnomer - perhaps it should be "No Help"

No offence, English Humour.

Steps to Reproduce:
On a fresh system that has never been attached to any external file server
Open or create a calc file
Select File>Save Remote
Observe that the Remote Files screen is devoid of any information
Click the [Help] button
On my system, a warning that built-in help is not available is correct
Click [Read Help Online] button which takes you here

https://help.libreoffice.org/7.3/en-GB/text/shared/guide/cmis-remote-files.html?System=WIN&DbPAR=CALC&HID=fps/ui/remotefilesdialog/help#bm_id3148069

Note that the 2nd and 3rd instructions do not correspond to any screen ever encountered during this attempt - possibly because I never progressed past the initial requirement for help.

The first link is to "setup a remote file connection" linking the user here

https://help.libreoffice.org/7.3/en-GB/text/shared/guide/cmis-remote-files-setup.html?&DbPAR=CALC&System=WIN

Following the first instruction to "clicking remote files button -which is actually a network folder icon- at the start centre" and clicking the subsequent[Help] button takes the user here

https://help.libreoffice.org/7.3/en-GB/text/shared/guide/cmis-remote-files.html?System=WIN&DbPAR=WRITER&HID=fps/ui/remotefilesdialog/dialog-action_area1#bm_id3148069

The net result of all that effort is to access another Remote Files setup screen and seek help.





Actual Results:
Constantly cycling through unhelpful and potentially inaccurate help definitions without ever producing anything. Whilst I never progressed past seeking help and failing at the first step of each "Help" screen I was able to attempt to assimilate the relevant help sections in their entirety. Without any success units to refer to, I never really achieved anything more than frustration.

Expected Results:
Provide clear concise help for users lacking in-depth technical expertise who need to create a simple link to their online storage. Technical definitions of the myriad data repositories should be reserved for the programmer's reference manual or the Analyst's System specification


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No


OpenGL enabled: Yes

Additional Info:
Version: 7.3.0.0.alpha0+ (x64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 67f2a99229101757af4f40118f4d3c83ba38648b
CPU threads: 4; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 19042; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: en-GB (en_GB); UI: en-GB
Calc: threaded
Comment 1 Eleonora Govallo 2021-08-18 19:46:05 UTC
Hello!
As i understand, if you want to save remote you need to open remote file, could you clarify did you open the file that you want to save remote, from the remote server?
First advice in the instruction is how to open remote file that you will save remote.
Comment 2 Colin 2021-08-19 03:23:08 UTC
(In reply to Eleonora Govallo from comment #1)
> Hello!
> As i understand, if you want to save remote you need to open remote file,
> could you clarify did you open the file that you want to save remote, from
> the remote server?
> First advice in the instruction is how to open remote file that you will
> save remote.

Remote file save to Google drive isn't working yet - at present, it's just in the testing phase and release to later versions. Therefore, no I didn't open anything as it's not currently possible.

This report is merely to define that the help definitions seem to create a circular path and in general, are not easy for a new user - that would be the type of user who most needs clear concise help functions.
Comment 3 QA Administrators 2021-08-19 03:45:49 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 4 Alain Romedenne 2022-07-04 12:10:07 UTC
I confirm a faulty link on 'File Services' dialog under:

Version: 7.3.4.2 (x64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 728fec16bd5f605073805c3c9e7c4212a0120dc5
CPU threads: 4; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 19044; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: en-US (fr_FR); UI: en-US
Calc: CL
 
This occurs having pressed 'Manage Services' button  from File > Open Remote… or File > Save Remote… menu dialogs