Add documentation re: working with symlinks to development guide

Author: per1234

content/_topics/README.md

@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 This folder contains post content that is published in multiple forum topics.
 
 The contents are targets of symlinks placed in the appropriate locations in the category structure.
+
+Instructions for development work involving these symlinks are provided in the [**Development Guide**](../../docs/development.md#working-with-symlinks).

docs/development.md

@@ -1,5 +1,67 @@
 # Development Guide
 
+## Working with Symlinks
+
+Identical copies of some of the content maintained in this repository is published in multiple forum topics. In order to avoid the need to maintain duplicated content in this repository, a single asset is used, with a [symbolic link](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link) (AKA "symlink") to the asset placed in each of the locations in the category content tree ([example](../content/categories/community/general-discussion/_topics/how-to-get-the-best-out-of-this-forum)).
+
+For certain development operations, it might be necessary to work with the repository's existing symlinks or add new ones.
+
+---
+
+**ⓘ** If your local development work does not involve the project's symlinks, no action is required and you can skip the rest of this section.
+
+---
+
+### Linux or macOS
+
+The Linux and macOS operating systems support symlinks by default so no preparation is required of contributors using these operating systems.
+
+<a name="enable-windows-symlinks"></a>
+
+### Windows
+
+Windows supports symlinks, but by default support for creating symlinks is only available in administrative sessions (e.g., application used to work with the symlinks invoked via "**Run as administrator**").
+
+Windows can be configured to allow creating symlinks even from non-administrative sessions:
+
+https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/apps/get-started/enable-your-device-for-development
+
+#### Git
+
+If a repository is [cloned](https://docs.github.com/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/cloning-a-repository) when **Git** does not have the privileges needed to create symlinks, it will create placeholder text files in place of the symlinks. The content of the text file is the path to the symlink's target.
+
+This behavior is controlled by **Git**'s [`core.symlinks` configuration variable](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config/#Documentation/git-config.txt-coresymlinks). The variable will be set to `false` in the repository's [local configuration](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config/#Documentation/git-config.txt-GITDIRconfig).
+
+This behavior doesn't pose any problems if your development work won't involve the project's symlinks (the placeholders files for the existing symlinks are not treated as a [repository diff](https://docs.github.com/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/about-comparing-branches-in-pull-requests)), but will not be appropriate when you are working with the symlinks since we must commit functional symlinks rather than the placeholder files.
+
+Even when the necessary privileges are present, the fallback behavior will be used when cloning the repository if `core.symlinks` is set to `false` in your [system](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config/#Documentation/git-config.txt-prefixetcgitconfig) or [global](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config/#Documentation/git-config.txt-XDGCONFIGHOMEgitconfig) **Git** configuration. You can check the value of the configuration variable by running this command:
+
+```text
+git config --get --show-origin --show-scope core.symlinks
+```
+
+And if it is set to `false`, you can change the value to `true` with this command:
+
+```text
+git config --global core.symlinks true
+```
+
+#### Git Bash
+
+Contributors using Windows are recommended to use the excellent open source [**Git Bash**](https://gitforwindows.org/#bash) shell (installed as part of [**Git for Windows**](https://git-scm.com/download/win)).
+
+If you have not [configured Windows](#enable-windows-symlinks) to provide default support for symlinks, an [additional configuration](https://cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/using-cygwinenv.html#:~:text=winsymlinks%3Anative%20and-,winsymlinks%3Anativestrict,-is%20this%3A%20If) of the shell is required in addition to using an administrative session. You can configure the current session to support creation of symlinks by running this [`export`](https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/export.1p.html) command:
+
+```text
+export MSYS=winsymlinks:nativestrict
+```
+
+---
+
+**ⓘ** This additional configuration is not required if you are using Windows [**PowerShell**](https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/scripting/learn/ps101/01-getting-started) instead of **Git Bash**.
+
+---
+
 ## Add or Remove a Pinned Topic
 
 "Pinned" topics are always shown at the top of the category's listing.