Installation documentation improvements
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 988
- Forks
- 355
- Avg merge
- 4d 2h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 12
Description
### Suggestions
- [x] The "getting started" docs (or a similar suitable location) should point to the installation files in the release directory.
- [ ] The INSTALL* files need to be improved in both its breath of details, and the getting started needs to be made much more beginner accessible.
- [x] Convert txt files to Markdown
- [x] Merge unique Windows-specific notes from INSTALL_Windows.txt into the main installation guide.
Refactor INSTALL_CMake.txt:
- [x] Deprecate Section III: Move "Script Mode" (ctest -S) to a separate "Maintainer/CI Guide" or an appendix. It confuses standard users.
- [x] Promote Command Mode: Make the standard cmake -S . -B build command the primary "Advanced/Manual" method.
- [x] Extract Reference Tables: Move the massive "CMake Option Defaults" (Section VII) to a separate file, make it collapsible, or place it at the bottom of the document as an Appendix to improve flow.
- [x] Extract Testing: Move Section XIII (Regex Options) and XIV (Java FFM Testing) to a TESTING.md file.
Modernize Terminology:
- [x] Remove "Visual Studio Express."
- [x] Replace myhdfstuff with ${SOURCE_DIR} and ${BUILD_DIR} conventions.
- [ ] Standardize version placeholders to .
- [x] Clarify Dependency Management: Explicitly explain how to use HDF5_ALLOW_EXTERNAL_SUPPORT vs. pointing to local libs in the Manual Build section, as this is the most common failure point for users.
Contributor guide
Assessment
This issue has not been assessed yet.