STATUS of the Apache Documentation Project (ADP)
================================================
The current ADP Team:
---------------------
(Just jump up and say you want to contribute!)
Ralf S. Engelschall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (coordinator)
Stanley Gambarin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Christopher Huber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Brian Slesinsky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Goal of the project:
--------------------
(Feel free to fix me)
Initial goals:
1. Create an Apache Handbook and an Apache FAQ.
which contains most of the important material
from apache/htdocs/ and apache-site.
2. Format these documents both for online browsing
(at least HTML and ASCII) and paper printing
(at least Postscript).
Further goals:
1. Integration of more informations from apache-site
and apache-devsite and ApacheWeeks tutorials.
2. Creation of a User Manual in addition to the Handbook
Current state:
--------------
I've started to write an initial skeleton for the handbook by the use of
SGML-Tools. This was done to be sure SGML-Tools can be a acceptable approach.
But we are not sure, because SDF is also an alternative. Current test
handbook can be found on http://www.apache.org/~rse/.
Current Points of Discussion:
-----------------------------
(Feel free to add your votes and ideas!)
o Decision on the used markup tool:
=================================
Status: SGMLTools with LinuxDOC-DTD worked
fine for the initial handbook skeleton
and is also used for Linux HOWTOs and
FreeBSD Handbook.
But SDF is an alternative!
Options:
- linuxdoc-sgml 1.5
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/...
=> The predecessor of SGMLTools
Votes: RSE -1 (because obsolete)
- FreeBSD's sgmlfmt
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/FreeBSD-current/...
=> Based on linuxdoc-sgml 1.4/1.5 with
enhancements.
Votes: RSE -1 (because SGMLTools is still better)
- SGMLTools 0.99.14
http://web.inter.NL.net/users/C.deGroot/sgmltools/
=> Provides an SGML-based approach and can
directly generate HTML, TXT and TeX (->Postscript).
Easy syntax because very related to HTML which
every contributor already knows.
Votes: RSE +1 (because currently best tool for SGML approach)
- Perl's Plain Old Document (POD) Format
perl5.004_01.tar.gz:pod/pod2html
=>
Votes: RSE -0 (because not powerful enough: images, etc.)
- Simple Document Format (SDF)
http://www.mincom.com/mtr/sdf/
=> Successor of POD. Leads to very compact source
(especially for lists) in contrast to the SGML approaches.
Works really nice and can be enhanced to fit out needs.
Very easy syntax (similar to POD), but not related
to HTML.
Votes: RSE +1 iff(!) the author Ian Clatworthy
enhances SDF in the following ways:
1. all of our needed features possible
with all of our needed output formats
2. output format Postscript directly
creatable via TeX as the postprocessor
instead of FrameMaker or WinWord.
Ian says he tries to do this enhancements
until the end of the next week. We should
give him a chance!
- ...???ANY MORE???...
o Decision how to work on ADP as a group
======================================
Status: A CVS area apache-docs can be easily created,
so every contributor can at least grab the stuff via
Anonymous-CVS (when done in the near future) to grab the latest
release. Changes are sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (similar to
patches to new-httpd@apache.org) and are committed by the
coordinator.
Options:
- CVS area apache-docs
=> Good approach because we already maintain
our stuff in CVS and CVS provides good change histories,
etc.
Votes: RSE +1
- ...???ANY MORE??...
o Decision about the Table Of Contents
====================================
Status: As a start we should take Stanley Gambarin's toc idea and
enhance/modify it by doing votes and suggestions. The list was
posted by him to new-httpd and will be reposted by me when we
have votes for the above to points.
Sources we should consider:
- apache-site CVS area = http://www.apache.org/
- apache-devsite CVS area = http://dev.apache.org/
- ApacheWeek tutorials: http://www.apacheweek.com/
- Stronghold docs: http://www.c2.net/products/stronghold/docs/
o Decision about how to split up the work in the team
===================================================
!! This can be started when we have discussed the Table
Of Contents and are sure we have one to start with !!
Ralf S. Engelschall
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.engelschall.com
