Fundamentals

[D@7@k|N&]

-----Original Message-----
From: fedora-docs-list-bounces at redhat.com
[mailto:fedora-docs-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Paul W. Frields
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 7:05 PM
To: dataking at cox.net; For participants of the docs project
Subject: Re: Fundamentals

Hi, umm, D at 7@k|N&. (Perhaps you should consider using a real name, I
feel really silly typing that!) :-)  

The name is Charlie.  I started with the "handled" address 'cause I wasn't
sure how involved (if at all) I would be in this project.  Also, if D at 7@k|N&
bugs too much, 'dataking' works just as well.  ;)


I'll break out answers below that
will hopefully be a little helpful for you. 

Thanks.

Oh, in the future, could you
be so kind as to *not* use HTML in your posts to the list? Case in
point, your post comes out on my screen so small I can barely read it.
It's considered a "best practice" to use plain text only for e-mail to
the list. Sorry for the etiquette detour there, and I apologize to all
if Evolution mangles this reply into HTML.

Sorry.  Nature of the beast.  I manage a multiplatform environment at my
work, so there are times when I need a similar multiplatform environment at
home.  Just because of history, WinXP is my primary home environment.

On Tue, 2004-08-24 at 20:36, D at 7@k|N& wrote:
> OK..so I have a few questions, that (I know) have probably been
> answered a thousand times, and the poor posters were flamed
> continuously for days on end (OK..maybe I'm a member of too many
> mailing lists ;).  Anyhow, I'm curious how you guys work on
> documentation projects individually.  Do you write in your favorite
> text editor, then pass the subject matter to your editor to parse it
> into XML?

You can do this if XML is beyond your means. But frankly, if you're
comfortable writing HTML or using "styles" in your favorite word
processor, Docbook XML is really not any harder. You have to write the
tags, true, but there are tools to help. Read on for more....


Don't have a problem with HTML, but I don't really use styles.  I use
notepad (or vi) as much or more than Word (or Abiword).

<snip>

Yes. At a minimum, install psgml, which came with your Fedora
distribution. 

Done.  I read the guide deeply enough for that.  ;)


You should read the Documentation Guide, available at the FDP home page
at http://fedora.redhat.com/projects/docs/ ... don't skim it, really
READ it, and you'll learn a lot. I did. Erm, eventually. :-)

Yeah......it might take me a couple times too.....

>   Where does the author start and the editor begin?

Reading the archives and Karsten's process document (see
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=129993) will give
you a better idea how this works.

> Do you compose in your favorite editor, then once the content is
> complete, open it in emacs using the template, and parse it that way? 
> What's the /theoretical/ process, and the /practical/ application of
> that process?  

I just write in Emacs, it's actually easier that way. You can just write
big sections with notes and fill them in later as you go.

> I've skimmed the Documentation Guide, and the Quick Start, and didn't
> get a whole lot out of it other than I should be either an author, or
> an editor.

See above comment. :-) We really need authors right now, to be honest.

I am way more interested in authoring, than in editing.  I'm not sure how
much I have to contribute, but am definitely willing to contribute what I
can.  

<snip>

Asking questions is always the right way to start. 

Thanks.

> <== dataking's pgp ==>
> 9287 3334 03E4 965E 0D2D  F7CA A6E7 407C 1558 A263

Shouldn't I know your name before I trust your key? :-)  

Like I said...it's Charlie (or dataking if the upper/lower ASCII is a pain),
and it's a different PGP key.  ;)

P.S.  I'm CC'ing my linux address so I can see just how badly Outlook
mangles these emails.  I've received too many *seemingly superficial*
complaints not to know.  ;)

Thanks for all the advice.

--
-=D at 7@k|N&=-
 
<== dataking's pgp ==>
9287 3334 03E4 965E 0D2D  F7CA A6E7 407C 1558 A263