Re: How to get started on documentation for a project?

[John Fleck <jfleck inkstain net>]

On Sat, Aug 18, 2001 at 07:20:14AM -0600, Don Allingham wrote:
> I've just joined this list, so please be patient if this has already
> been discussed.
> 
> Its time for me to write some documentation for my project (gramps - a
> genealogy program written in python/GNOME/libglade), so I am looking to
> get started. I've looked at the gdp-handbook, and I don't think the
> docbook format is going to be difficult to deal with.
> 
> I've found plenty of information about how to write in docbook, but not
> much on how to set up a project to integrate and install the
> documentation on a system. I tried to determine what to do by looking at
> how the GNOME documentation is installed on my system (RH7.1, Ximian
> Gnome). It seems a bit confusing, with some documents bringing up
> mozilla (FAQ), others bringing up the gnome help browser (user's guide),
> and other documentation in nautilus. This, along with references to
> Scrollkeeper and OMF have me a bit confused. The gdp-handbook tells me
> to turn the document over to the project maintainer, but that is me :-)
> 
> Is there any information on the correct way to set up a project to build
> and install the documentation for a project? 
> 

Don -

First, thanks for doing documentation!

Dan Mueth has set up a sample document build system that you can use
as a template. It's in GNOME cvs at gnome-docu/gdp/gdp-example1. It
includes an omf file (Open Source Metadata Framework) which acts as a
sort of "card catalog" entry for the ScrollKeeper document management
system, along with the makefilery necessary to make the omf/SK work.

Alternatively, (or as a second template), Dan keeps the Nautilus docs
build files in good working order. I've used them as templates quite
successfully: nautilus/help/nautilus-user-manual in GNOME cvs is a
good place to look.

You can usually find folks on #docs who can field questions as you go.

Cheers,
-- 
John Fleck
jfleck inkstain net (h), http://www.inkstain.net/fleck/