On 16 November 2011 12:04, Keith Daniels keithwdaniels@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Darrell
You might check out Scrivener (http://www.literatureandlatte.com/) it is a writers tool for correlating and organizing your documents and then exporting them into different file formats. It also allows importing research documents (html, pdf, web links, etc) that you can reference from inside Scrivener (i.e. your older KDE3 documentation) while you are editing or writing your documentation.
They have Mac, Windows and Linux versions, but...
The Mac version (vs 2.0) "may" do what you want, it is the most advanced and well tested but I don't have a Mac and haven't used it.
The Windows version (vs 1.0) which was just released, does OK with the exported formats but the HTML code it exports is messy and hard to edit...
The Linux version (Beta vs 0.4) "may" be far enough along to work for what you need--and it is free for now.
I use the Windows version in a VirtualBox XP setup for my documenting and general writing work.
The basic Idea is that you write or import the text and store it as a project in Scrivener. Then you use the export features to output PDF, ePub, Word, HTML and other formats. You can do basic word processing style formating inside Scrivener and it is carried through to the exported documents.
It is payware and it is the first software I have bought in years AND the first Windows program that I have used in 12 years--that should show how much I like it.
Keith
On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Darrell Anderson humanreadable@yahoo.com wrote:
We have none. :)
In the past I mentioned my background in technical writing and an
interest in coordinating a user's guide. No promises but I want to get something moving.
I have PDF copies of three KDE3 user guides. All are licensed to allow
using the text in other documents.
KDEUserGuideFinal.pdf: Published by the United Nations Development
Programmes Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP)Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (heavily focused on PCLinuxOS)
opensuse110_kdequick.pdf
opensuse110_kdeuser.pdf
Although I could convert those documents to text files with various
conversion tools, I would like to find the original source files. For you OpenSuse folks, you might be able to find those two document source files.
The Kubuntu people at one time had a KDE 3 user's guide. I can find
HTML remnants of such a guide on the web.
Tim, as the one-time Kubuntu coordinator for KDE3 I'm hoping you might
be able to find sources for that document.
Long term I want to establish a process to single source the text to
various mediums: a PDF, HTML, wiki, etc. Single sourcing text files long been has the Holy Grail of technical writing and frankly, no optimal solution yet exists despite what anybody might claim. DocBook, DITA, XML all were supposed to provide that single source miracle but none have fulfilled any tech writer's dream. Nonetheless, if we get our hands on the original source files for these documents we then find a big step in the right direction toward providing a much-needed Trinity user's guide. If not we still can convert the information using raw conversion tools.
Thanks!
Darrell
Why not just use basic markup like markdown for example.
Then check it into a git repository so we can track changes (most important part)
Then use conversion utilities to export it into different document types.
I dunno that's what I'd do:)
I would definitely encourage the usage of an open format flat file (or files), such as fodt or some sort of Latex format, in the GIT repository. This would greatly simplify differences between versions (if needed), and thereby make it easier for those without write access to GIT to jump in, edit the document, and submit a patch with their additions.
And I would really like to see this idea take off for R14.0! This is one area where we can really shine compared to other desktops out there.
Tim