Re: your mail

[Adam Di Carlo <adam@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nik Clayton <nik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> The dilemma I face is this -- I really, really want to avoid having to 
> document and support a plethora of tools, stylesheets, and stylesheet
> languages.  Every new hurdle that gets thrown up is one more barrier to
> volunteers actually contributing documentation.

Well, obviously, the only possible solution which fits your
requirements is to write an NROFF backend for Jade (or OpenJade).
While yer at it, we *really* need a rewritten, raw TeX backend.  If
you're ambitious, how about a TeXinfo backend too, to make the GNU
folks happy (texinfo is still their official documentation format).

Personally, if all you're trying to achieve is <refenty> -> manpage, I
would think the easiest way would be to (gasp) write your own
formatter in Perl or Python or whatever (hopefully free tool, please).

> As soon as I start installing more formatters I'm moving further away 
> from the goal instead of towards it.  This is why I'm trying to avoid 
> using tools like "instant".

That's what <URL:http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/tools/dtm/> uses,
right?  The additional problem with the tool at that URL is (a)
there's no copyright at all on the files, so it's "all rights
reserved" (i.e., I'm not even allowed to use or distribute it), (b)
it's Docbook 2.4.1 only.

--
.....Adam Di Carlo....adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<URL:http://www.onShore.com/>


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