Update all Help Pages function

[PhilOfPerth]

I've just completed the chore of updating all pages of the Help file, which took about 20 minutes on my machine.
Maybe I'm doing it incorrectly?
Is there a Changes Log (or something similar) that logs the time a page has been changed in the Wiki, and if so, could
we be given the option to update only those pages changed since our (personal) version was last updated?

[SMcNeill]

Most of that time is your system doing system stuff with the downloads.   To explain the length of time, for most folks the process is basically like this:

Download 2kb file.   Takes as long as you'd expect it to take to download a 2k file.  Negligible time involved.
Start anti-virus.
Scan file.
Declare it safe.
Allow file to be wrote to disk.
Close anti-virus.

Download next 1kb file.
Start anti-virus.
Scan file.
Declare it safe.
Allow file to be wrote to disk.
Close anti-virus.

Repeat and rinse for several thousand files...

Can you guess where the biggest amount of time is being spent when downloading all the contents for the wiki? 

---

What might be nice, would be if we could sort out some way to have the wiki be zipped up into a single archive.  You could download a 2mb zip file in no time and extract it.   I'm just certain what process we'd have to sort out to automate those changes, as the wiki isn't directly connected to the github and such.   One can be altered and changed, without affecting the other, so it'd be a little trick to sort out the syncing issues between the two, I think.

[PhilOfPerth]

Most of that time is your system doing system stuff with the downloads.   To explain the length of time, for most folks the process is basically like this:

Download 2kb file.   Takes as long as you'd expect it to take to download a 2k file.  Negligible time involved.
Start anti-virus.
Scan file.
Declare it safe.
Allow file to be wrote to disk.
Close anti-virus.

Download next 1kb file.
Start anti-virus.
Scan file.
Declare it safe.
Allow file to be wrote to disk.
Close anti-virus.

Repeat and rinse for several thousand files...

Can you guess where the biggest amount of time is being spent when downloading all the contents for the wiki? 

---

What might be nice, would be if we could sort out some way to have the wiki be zipped up into a single archive.  You could download a 2mb zip file in no time and extract it.   I'm just certain what process we'd have to sort out to automate those changes, as the wiki isn't directly connected to the github and such.   One can be altered and changed, without affecting the other, so it'd be a little trick to sort out the syncing issues between the two, I think.

Could the github download all of the Wiki pages, maybe daily, and zip them for an update package to be downloaded when requested by members?

[RhoSigma]

Is there a Changes Log (or something similar) that logs the time a page has been changed in the Wiki, and if so, could
we be given the option to update only those pages changed since our (personal) version was last updated?

First and general, every new release is delivered with an up to date set of help files. So, unless you're still working with any older version instead of the latest one, you should be never in need to update those help files in the IDE.

Second, even IF you're working with an older version, the changes are in most cases overseeable and not requiring a complete update of ALL files, rather have a look either into the "Recent Changes" page which you can reach in the online wiki via the left side menu (the 2nd link right below the QB64-PE logo) or into the version related changelog "Change Logs - By released Versions" reachable on the Wiki main page under the section "Keywords Reference" sub-section "Other". You should then open the changed page(s) in the IDE help and choose "Update current page" for each of it.

Third, for a quick check if a particular page is up to date:
- in the IDE see the "Last updated:" date/time in the upper/right corner of the help area (right below the cyan colored "View in Wiki" button), that's the date/time when the page was last updated in the IDE
- now press the cyan colored "View in Wiki" button so it will open the respective page in the browser, scroll that page down to the very bottom where you will find the date/time of the last edit (ex. This page was last edited on 14 March 2025, at 02:12.), If that date/time is newer than the one in the IDE then just select "Update current page" in the IDE Help Menu and you're done with it, the IDE date/time will change immediately to reflect the update.

[PhilOfPerth]

Is there a Changes Log (or something similar) that logs the time a page has been changed in the Wiki, and if so, could
we be given the option to update only those pages changed since our (personal) version was last updated?

First and general, every new release is delivered with an up to date set of help files. So, unless you're still working with any older version instead of the latest one, you should be never in need to update those help files in the IDE.

Second, even IF you're working with an older version, the changes are in most cases overseeable and not requiring a complete update of ALL files, rather have a look either into the "Recent Changes" page which you can reach in the online wiki via the left side menu (the 2nd link right below the QB64-PE logo) or into the version related changelog "Change Logs - By released Versions" reachable on the Wiki main page under the section "Keywords Reference" sub-section "Other". You should then open the changed page(s) in the IDE help and choose "Update current page" for each of it.

Third, for a quick check if a particular page is up to date:
- in the IDE see the "Last updated:" date/time in the upper/right corner of the help area (right below the cyan colored "View in Wiki" button), that's the date/time when the page was last updated in the IDE
- now press the cyan colored "View in Wiki" button so it will open the respective page in the browser, scroll that page down to the very bottom where you will find the date/time of the last edit (ex. This page was last edited on 14 March 2025, at 02:12.), If that date/time is newer than the one in the IDE then just select "Update current page" in the IDE Help Menu and you're done with it, the IDE date/time will change immediately to reflect the update.

Thanks RhoSigma - that sounds like what I was asking to be re-invented! 
Maybe I'm lazy, or incompetent - or both - but that sounds very convoluted  for  a task that needs to be done fairly regularly. 
The comforting part of your post was that the Help files are replaced with the latest every time there's a new PE release, which 
I wasn't aware of.
But it may be quite some time between releases and the Help may have been changed several times.
How hard would it be to automate this whenever Help is used?

[RhoSigma]

But it may be quite some time between releases and the Help may have been changed several times.

Well, those changes between releases are rather unimportant, mostly correcting typos. The most changes really happen just a couple days before a new release and are completed before the release, so that we actually make sure every new release has the latest help content.

How hard would it be to automate this whenever Help is used?

If you think it's time for an "Update all pages" but don't wanna wait the time it needs, then you can also just delete all files except "links.bin" in the qb64pe/help folder. The pages will then automatically be reloaded/updated on demand whenever you request it for the first time. The only drawback, you must constantly be online.

In alternative simply let the "Update all pages" run when you go to bed, or taking a shower, having lunch etc.

[PhilOfPerth]

In alternative simply let the "Update all pages" run when you go to bed, or taking a shower, having lunch etc.

OK, I guesss that's the simplest option. 
Shame that sometimes when I need the update, it's not bedtime or coffee time... 
And it may not be my Shower month!  

[RhoSigma]

Maybe changing your point of view could help, is an update really required?

• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.0)
  
• Fixing typos in the Wiki, mayby some rewording but no new things to describe
  
• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.1)
  
• Fixing typos in the Wiki, mayby some rewording but no new things to describe
  
• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.2)
  

As you see, between releases there's nothing important. What new things could be appear in the Wiki, if we didn't add anything new to the QB64 language in the meantime.

On the other side, sure we add new things to the language between releases and at least sometimes go along creating new Wiki pages for it, but that new information is not relevant for you, simply because you can't use the new things until we release it, and then you get the new information automatically in the release.

Same is when you would for instance still work with v3.12.0 while we already released v4.1.0, here you could think an update of the help files is a good idea to get all that new information of v4.1.0, but why or for what purpose? You can't use all that new information until you update your version to v4.1.0. And even worse, by updating the help information of your installed v3.12.0 to v4.1.0 the new information could now be wrong or even completely invalid in regard to your installed v3.12.0, as it maybe describes new optional parameters for functions in v4.1.0, which were not available in v3.12.0 and you're then wondering why the function is not working the way it is described in the help.

So the conclusion of all this is:
If you are just a regular user of QB64-PE (and I think you are), who downloads and uses a new release from time to time, then you should NEVER be in need to update your help files, as every release comes with a current set of help files relevant and valid exactly for that release.

A different case would be if you follow our development, cloning/forking our GitHub repository and constantly bulding QB64-PE by yourself from the latest repository clone to always be up to date with our current developments. Then, and only then, it might be useful to update the help pages by yourself too.

[PhilOfPerth]

Maybe changing your point of view could help, is an update really required?

• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.0)
  
• Fixing typos in the Wiki, mayby some rewording but no new things to describe
  
• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.1)
  
• Fixing typos in the Wiki, mayby some rewording but no new things to describe
  
• We (the developers) build new things into the language and describe it in the wiki (release 4.2)
  

As you see, between releases there's nothing important. What new things could be appear in the Wiki, if we didn't add anything new to the QB64 language in the meantime.

On the other side, sure we add new things to the language between releases and at least sometimes go along creating new Wiki pages for it, but that new information is not relevant for you, simply because you can't use the new things until we release it, and then you get the new information automatically in the release.

Same is when you would for instance still work with v3.12.0 while we already released v4.1.0, here you could think an update of the help files is a good idea to get all that new information of v4.1.0, but why or for what purpose? You can't use all that new information until you update your version to v4.1.0. And even worse, by updating the help information of your installed v3.12.0 to v4.1.0 the new information could now be wrong or even completely invalid in regard to your installed v3.12.0, as it maybe describes new optional parameters for functions in v4.1.0, which were not available in v3.12.0 and you're then wondering why the function is not working the way it is described in the help.

So the conclusion of all this is:
If you are just a regular user of QB64-PE, who downloads and uses a new release from time to time, then you should NEVER be in need to update your help files, as every release comes with a current set of help files relevant and valid exactly for that release.

A different case would be if you follow our development, cloning/forking our GitHub repository and constantly bulding QB64-PE by yourself from the latest repository clone to always be up to date with our current developments. Then, and only then, it might be useful to update the help pages by yourself too.

Fairy nuff,RhoSigma... I'll just update PE when advised of a new release, and get the Help updates automatically then?
Thanks for the help.

[RhoSigma]

Your welcome

Oh, and I guess should it ever happen that we have to correct/add important help content after a release, then we will also post an announcement here suggesting a help update. So you don't need to worry to miss something really important.