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[GoodGuy17]

Hello,

This is my list of 9, yes 9, tips for a great tutorial. I would like some people to use this list as a guideline for tutorials. This is what I look for when using a tutorial:

1. Walls of Text
I look for walls of text, or a lot of deep explanation, in tutorials. I really don't usually favor video tutorials, as I don't really like watching them. I want lots of explanation, so I not only make it, but learn it and different ways to use it.

2. Seperated Code
I don't like tutorials that say,
"Paste this under Public Class:"
I like the ones like this,
"Paste this under Button1's click event:"
I like to know exactly where to put what. I don't paste my code(for learning purposes), and I don't read tutorials that say Paste under Public Class, because all the code is scrunched up and I have to sort through it all with no explanation to type it and memorize it myself.

3. Nicely Made
I don't like tutorials that are like,
"OK, just add some buttons and stuff and put this code"
I like stuff like this,
"Hello! What we need to do is add 3 buttons, btnThis, bthThat, btnThisThat. Make the properties this..."
etc. Make it easy to read, without having to guess anything and revise it.

4. Proper Grammar
This kind of goes in with 3, but anyways, don't talk like this:
"ok guise wats up we r goin 2 make a cool progy that dos sumthin lyk dis"
Translated to English:
"OK guys, what's up? We are going to make a cool program that does something like this"
Use proper capitalization and punctuation, and spell right. This is a very major thing.

5. Screenshots
Include a screenshot of the finished program so I know what I am about to make. I don't want to read through a whole tutorial just to find out I made a program that can open a text file. Screenshots are a priority too, and I suggest using SnagIt 9 by Techsmith.

6. Give links to things needed
Include links to everything needed, such as APIs, SDKs, custom controls, etc. Don't just say go to Google and search for it, include the exact link.

7. Don't Make Copies
If it has been made before and has a tutorial, then don't just make another one, verify yours is better and then post it. I can read one, but why would anyone read the same tutorial twice?

8. Give Credits
If you are making something that you learned from someone else, give credits to them. Say for example, you saw a tutorial from someone on YouTube named JimBob123, and you make a tutorial here, give credits, just to be nice. This makes you seem more intelligent and honest(and so the topic doesn't get flooded by accusations).

9. Be Helpful
If someone asks a question, like maybe they got an error, try your hardest to address it. If you figure it out, post it as a reply to him or PM him. Then, make sure it wasn't a bug in your code so everyone doesn't get it.

Please make sure when you make a tutorial you use some of these, as it would appeal to the community more.

~GoodGuy17

[Usman55]

Hello GoodGuy17,

These are all the guidelines which I already follow. You can read my tutorials in the Tutorial section. If you compare this topic with my tutorial, people will think that you have written all the guidelines from my tutorial, lol. That's because my tutorial is based exactly on the guidelines that you wrote!

Thank you.

[GoodGuy17]

Hello GoodGuy17,

These are all the guidelines which I already follow. You can read my tutorials in the Tutorial section. If you compare this topic with my tutorial, people will think that you have written all the guidelines from my tutorial, lol. That's because my tutorial is based exactly on the guidelines that you wrote!

Thank you.

Actually it would probably be more likely they would think you built the tutorial from my guidelines.
Your tutorials are the ones that inspired me to make this.
But, on a scale from 1 - 10, what do you rate this?
Should it be stickied?

[Usman55]

Yup it should be, I rate 8/10.

[GoodGuy17]

Anything to be added? As the reason it is 9 is solely because of the fact I simply could not think of anything else :P

[CodenStuff]

Thats a good guide Reboh and tutorials would be easier to follow if everyone included as much detail as possible as to what does what. I also see a lot of software/source-code published that require 3rd party controls like DotNetBar or VB PowerPacks which a lot of us dont use and is the primary reason why a lot of software fails to work. I will be adding something to the site in the new year that gives options to add a list of 3rd party components that are required to run your software.

Number 8 of your guide is one of the things I encourage everyone to do because passing code/tutorials off as your own when in reality it was copied from somewhere else is not very nice to the original author. Theres nothing wrong with posting code from somewhere else aslong as you add a link to where you got it from or at the very least the name of the person who made it.

[Lewis]

This is a nice little check list for anyone that is writing a tutorial because this is also what I look for in tutorials..

[GoodGuy17]

Thanks. There is a lot of people who post under every topic where the original idea/code is from and if people could just provide proper credits then it would greatly reduce the amount of posts that give credits where needed, but not given in the topic/program.