Re: ANNOUCE: gTrouble - New project

["David C. Mason" <dcm redhat com>]

Tom Gilbert <gilbertt@tomgilbert.freeserve.co.uk> writes:


> Hmm. You (and DCM) make a good point. Maybe doing this as a separate
> app is not such hot idea. I think I will look at the help-browser, and
> how it could be extended (if that's ok).

I think the majority of thinking on this is not to extend the existing
help browser but to start a new one. This is a conversation that
should be opened up (miguel?).


> DCM makes the point that DocBook should be able to cope with the
> necessary extra information and that it would be bad to create a new
> DTD for this. I don't know much about DocBook (or sgml in general, 
> as I mentioned earlier) right now, so I'll have to get back to you 
> after reading up. I would want to add a whole load of extra syntax
> though, guide writers should have loads of flexibility.


I'm not sure DocBook can do all that you want it to do in your plans
but DocBook is one of the most extensive DTDs and is the official
method of documenting GNOME. Adding on to the dtd is a bad idea in my
opinion because it brings more concerns into the mix such as what a
user has to download to build their own docs (especially with other
parsing tools), the ability for our docs to be read in other browsers
that can render DocBook on the fly (talk of this in KDE circles), and
our extensions getting out of control (the whole "don't fix what ain't
broke" philosophy). I think going through the DocBook committee is the
right way to extend it.

> A few good interactive walkthoughs could make a real difference to a
> user's first Gnome experience, and avoid later frustration.

No doubt.

Again I don't think your idea is a bad one. It just seems like you
have come up with a good idea for another bit of functionality the new
help browser could have.

Cheers,

Dave
-- 

          David Mason
        Red Hat AD Labs

        dcm@redhat.com