I beg you, if you are a developer of an open source app or program - add screenshots of your app to the README file. When looking for the perfect app, I had to install dozens of them just to see what the user interface looked like and whether it suits me. This will allow users to decide if the app they choose will suit them… Please, don’t think about it, just do it…

  • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19319·
    2 years ago

    Dear open source app user: feel free to improve the README file of the projects you come across by adding a few screenshots you believe are relevant.

    • TCB13@lemmy.world
      572·
      2 years ago

      Although I understand the OP’s perspective open-source is a community effort and people should have a more proactive attitude and contribute when they feel things aren’t okay. Most open-source developers aren’t focused / don’t have time for how things look (or at least not on the beginning). If you’re a regular user and you can spend an hour taking a bunch of screenshots and improving a readme you’ll be making more for the future the project that you might think.

    • s20@lemmy.ml
      2·
      2 years ago

      This is good advice, but having a screenie there in the first place might make someone more likely to try it out.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
    63·
    2 years ago

    While we’re at it, I love that you let me customize the settings via a config, but for the love of god make the default config the best it can possibly be

    • RickyRigatoni@lemmy.ml
      2·
      2 years ago

      I prefer the simple, sane defaults that work for everyone with a heavily commented config file giving detailed information on what each value for each option does, personally. Like MPV’s config file.

  • Bookmeat@lemmy.world
    561·
    2 years ago

    Won’t hurt to also put in a description of what your software actually is or does. Countless GitHub repos with instructions on how to install, but zero information about why I’d want to.

  • Random Dent@lemmy.ml
    31·
    2 years ago

    Also please begin the Github page or whatever with a description of what the app is actually for or what it does. I know that sounds super obvious, but the number of times I’ve seen links that are like “I made this app from scratch for fun, let me know what you think!” and then you click through and the app is called Scrooblarr or something and it has no indication of what it actually does is… more than it should be.

  • FrostySpectacles@lemmy.ml
    17·
    2 years ago

    As a user, I completely agree. People often make decisions in a few seconds, and you’ve done all this work developing an app. That little extra step will allow you to make a difference to more people!

    As a developer of a Lemmy web UI, I’ve been thinking about adding screenshots to my README for weeks but still haven’t done so 🙈

  • xT1TANx@lemmy.world
    171·
    2 years ago

    Wait what? I thought the read me file was to put as little info as possible to prove how awesome anyone was who can use the program.

  • Leraje@lemmy.worldEnglish
    131·
    2 years ago

    Also, installation instructions that don’t assume you’re already an expert.

  • Gianni R@lemmy.mlEnglish
    111·
    2 years ago

    I think this ties in to the grander idea of: please provide information that is helpful on a nontechnical plane of thinking. It goes a very long way

  • Gallardo994@lemmy.world
    104·
    2 years ago

    To be fair, most of time you can just Google %appname% screenshot. I understand that this is not as convenient as having screenshots in the readme, but eh, it’s not as big of a problem when you realize this.

    P.S. I do actually add at least one screenshot for my software. Maybe because sometimes UI is one of the main focus, idk. I just feel like it.

  • andruid@lemmy.ml
    3·
    2 years ago

    Anyone know of good Gitlab CI or GitHub actions for auto generating GUI screenshots and links them in the README? I only barely know testing tool and frameworks like OpenQA and Robot for GUI. Even better if we can get AVIF/GIF linked in there to see an app in motion.

    Honestly though, documenting is a pain enough, I really don’t want to be doing screenshot walk throughs on anything I’m not paid to do.