Make element templates an all modelers feature

[nikku]

Describe the context

Element templates are nowadays an all modelers BPMN modeling feature:

• They are supported in the desktop modeler with discovery through local file system discovery
• They are supported in the web modeler (branded as "connector templates") as first class citizens

Still, to date they are burried under "Modeler > Desktop Modeler" with a note hinting on desktop modeler support (https://docs.camunda.io/docs/components/modeler/desktop-modeler/element-templates/about-templates/).

Various deep links from different places in the documentation link to sub-pages, i.e. Web Modeler > Advanced Modeling > Managing Connector Templates. These often don't establish the necessary context, i.e. they are referred to as "connector templates" from where they are linked; we don't introduce element templates = connector templates properly (i.e. here).

Describe the solution you'd like

• [ ] Turn element templates into a concept, explaining key ingredience (outcomes you can accomplish), in a human readable manner
• [ ] Move modeler agnostic element template documentation one level up (under Modeler)
• [ ] Clarify prominently that element templates = connector templates ("Element templates, also referred to as connector templates in some parts of our product")
• [ ] Add dedicated section on how to use (in both modelers; link to respective modeler sections (https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/modeler/web-modeler/advanced-modeling/manage-connector-templates/, ...))
• [ ] Establish link to connectors

Which alternatives did you consider?

Keep things as is.

Further context

Confusion around this came up repeatedly. Cf. example.

We have received another evidence, this time from the big customer.

[nikku]

@YanaSegal Please review, I think it should match what we discussed.

[nikku]

Linked another instance where this hit us (from a Customer).

[akeller]

Could possibly be reviewed and picked up by a tech writer. Adding to our board.

[pablocabrera85]

The items specified here are covered by -Make element templates a concept: https://github.com/camunda/web-modeler/issues/16624 -Move modeler agnostic element template documentation one level up https://github.com/camunda/web-modeler/issues/16625 -Add dedicated section on how to use (in both modelers; link to respective modeler sections) https://github.com/camunda/web-modeler/issues/16633

[pablocabrera85]

The changes mentioned here are covered in the issues mentioned above

[nikku]

@pablocabrera85 You closed this issue as not planned, is that correct? Your comments indicate that the things are fixed. Did we fix it, or put it to backlog? If we fixed it, what docs PRs contributed to closing it?

[pablocabrera85]

Hi @nikku . Sorry for the late reply. In this comment above I mentioned the issue that addressed the proposals.

The changes on the documentation can be found here:

• We introduced element templates as a concept: https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/concepts/element-templates/
• We added an Modeler > Element templates section for content agnostic of the modelers: https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/modeler/element-templates/about-templates/
  • This is just the first page of this section. But basically we just moved some pages from under the Connectors and Desktop Modeler sections and put it at this level
• Since we introduced element templates for all tasks, we created a new page to explain element templates with dependencies: https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/modeler/element-templates/element-templates-with-dependencies/
• We added a Web Modeler specific section https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/modeler/web-modeler/element-templates/manage-element-templates/
  • This was the content of the Manage connector templates page. We some additions like references to the Marketplace
• As a supplement to the WebModeler CICD guidelines page, we added a new page that talks about element templates at scale, which covers at a very high level the requirements to handle element templates located in a repository and how to use CICD to provision them at runtime and design time https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/best-practices/cicd-guidelines/element-templates-at-scale/
• We added a small guide on Desktop and Web Modeler interoperability: https://docs.camunda.io/docs/next/components/modeler/using-web-and-desktop-modeler-together/

If you have any suggestions/feedback, we can iterate over the new content.

[nikku]

I changed this issue to closed as completed and linked the PRs "closing" it, specifically https://github.com/camunda/camunda-docs/pull/6473. Thanks ⭐

[nikku]

@pablocabrera85 one question: Did we include redirects in our restructuring? I visited this page and it is now broken.