Re: new help browser

[Karl Eichwalder <ke gnu franken de>]

Jonathan Blandford <jrb@redhat.com> writes:

> Online docs can be probelmatic, especially for free software.

Can, but they don't have to.  Invent a small protocol:

    user asks for 1.0
    server answers: only version 0.80 and 0.90 available
    user says: I'm happy with 0.90
    server warns and displys the doc

Maybe, commercial GNOME programs will enjoy this "feature"...

> Generally, there is very little to be gained to putting documentation
> online, except insignificant diskspace.  Programs like the Gimp and
> gnumeric, are the exception, rather then the rule in this regard.
> Additionally, versioning is painful.  Imagine I have foo version 1.23
> installed, and the newest version available is 1.26.  Should we display
> this document (which could be wrong, or even worse, almost correct) or
> keep versions 1.23->1.26 online somewhere?  I don't see what this buys
> us, and it'll protentially cause us and the user trouble.

We should try to prepare GNOME to offer apps and docs via the Internet
(or an Intranet).  Other software vendors already started this
enterprise.

OTOH, you're completely right.  But in the first place we tried to
address something different:

    User has gnumeric and gnumeric docs installed.

    And the gnumeric docs point to exertnal document which may or may
    not be installed locally.  If installed locally, display it.  If not
    show to the user a way to read the doc nevertheless.

I gues we'll need something like XLink -- but I'm not that familiar this
the "standard".

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