THE GITHTML FIELD GUIDE
Replace live widgets with honest offline information
For an offline document, replace essential live widgets with dated static information and explain what the original widget normally does. A saved form is not a working submission service, and a captured dashboard is not current telemetry. Keep the reading copy useful while clearly separating explanation, historical evidence, and actions that require connectivity.
Identify every interactive dependency
Review forms, embedded dashboards, search boxes, calculators, playgrounds, and collapsible panels. Some are optional conveniences; others contain the only copy of necessary information. Inspect what remains visible with scripts and network access disabled.
Write down the reader’s actual need for each widget. Someone reviewing an incident may need a chart and its time window, not a live dashboard. Someone learning an API may need an example request and response, not an executable playground.
Capture information with context
For a static chart, include the capture time, data period, units, and source. Explain any filters applied. A screenshot without these details can look authoritative while leaving the reader unable to judge what it represents.
For an interactive example, provide a fixed input, expected output, and explanation of the transformation. If the example depends on an external service, say which part cannot be reproduced offline. Avoid claiming that a copied result proves current service behavior.
- Inventory widgets that need a network or script runtime.
- Replace essential results with dated static examples.
- Label unavailable submissions and online continuation steps clearly.
Make disabled actions unmistakable
Replace a submission form with instructions describing what information to prepare and where to submit it later. Do not leave a prominent button that appears to complete a task but silently fails without a network connection.
If retaining form-like fields for illustration, label them as an example. HTML form markup defines a submission interface, but saving the page does not bring the server-side processing with it. Readers should not enter sensitive information into an ambiguous offline imitation.
Test the reading-only experience
Walk through the copy as a reader who cannot enable connectivity. Essential explanations, warnings, and results should be present without pressing a widget button. Keep any online continuation link descriptive and optional for understanding the core material.
gitHtml’s optional script and remote-resource settings are not a replacement for this preparation. Leave the document’s offline limitations explicit. When the real task requires a live system, say that the copy supports preparation or review rather than completion.
Sources and further reading
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