As a n00b who uses this system, I am so blind. I totally empathize with the need for even easier process...in many ways...in many areas...in many moments...I've been stuck and frustrated.
Looking back, one of my major problems was: I didn't read the ample documentation that was already out there. I just jumped right in where I didn't understand. It's not my fault though, there are literally volumes and volumes and books and books that need to be read before a n00b (newbie) turns L33t vet (elite veteran).
It is possible that this system needs a certain amount of complication to maintain much desired flexibility? I still think we need better docs (and the system can be improved too) and I also think that it may take 3 to 6 months before anyone (who doesn't already have a computer science degree) can be expected to really understand what's going on.
One thing that really helped me is to read the developer's documentation:
http://mytlc.com/doc/packages.html
I think that might be misnamed because I never considered myself a "developer" and I always thought of myself as an "admin" So I didn't look at those docs until I wanted to write my own applications.
I should have read those docs from the beginning -- and I should have studied sql first. I should have known what cvs is and how to use it in emacs....those are just a few of the things that a web site administrator will eventually want to do...
Anyway, thanks to all the kind people who have already written the excellent documentation that's already out there -- you got me this far, and that's no small miracle.
My suggestion, at this point, is to change the name of:
chapter 4 -- OpenACS Developer's Guide
to
Chapter 4 -- OpenACS Developer's Guide -- (Not Just for Developers)
That way I wouldn't have ignored what's under the ACS 4 hood for so long.
