Re: Users Guides vs. Help

[Nils Philippsen <nils wombat dialup fht-esslingen de>]

On 26 Oct 1999, Preben Randhol wrote:

> Why not turn the problem upside down.
> 
> That is each app contributes information about itself and then one
> have a dynamic system which creates a list of the installed apps with
> the small description. Thus the list will grow and shrink as you
> install/uninstall programs.
> 
> On the other hand it would be nice to have a list of available list
> and just a small note if they are installed or not. Thus if one are
> looking for a financial system one can search and find the name one
> and then install it.

Combine them both: Have a directory shipped with the User Guide that
contains small snippets of doc where to find certain apps and a directory
that gets filled by the applications themselves (with small snippets,
too). Then have a script to produce the guide which will include the doc
from the app if installed, otherwise the info where to find the app.

Makes sense?

Nils
-- 
Nils Philippsen / Vogelsangstrasse 115 / D-70197 Stuttgart / +49.711.6599405
nils@wombat.dialup.fht-esslingen.de / nils@fht-esslingen.de / nils@redhat.de
   The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be
   regarded as a criminal offence.                  -- Edsger W. Dijkstra