I posted something similar to this proposal earlier before summer set
in, and there were a couple volunteers back then. Perhaps, they are
still interested. In any event, additional writers/editors and testers
are needed so that we can turn out a useful, practical document.
Hopefully, we could get it done in a few weeks and, perhaps, include it
in the Writer Guide.
The following proposal is posted on the OOoAuthors forum. You can
respond through the mailing list and/or on the forum.
http://www.createforum.com/phpbb/admin/index.php?admin=1&mforum=oooauthors&sid=9bc54ebb018667d13b55119641d6ca21&mforum=oooauthors
<http://www.createforum.com/phpbb/admin/index.php?admin=1&mforum=oooauthors&sid=9bc54ebb018667d13b55119641d6ca21&mforum=oooauthors>
A writer (or team) is needed to write a tutorial that covers several
aspects of Writer in detail. Other members could serve as guinea pigs,
testing out the procedures.
The tutorial could be incorporated into the current Writer Guide, as the
final chapter or as an appendix, or it could even be a standalone
tutorial. One proposal for the tutorial follows. Alternative proposals
are welcomed.
The tutorial could describe how a newbie user might put together a
simple book, replete with front material--copyright page and ToC,
etc.--along with the subsequent chapters and an index. This tutorial
could serve an additional, practical purpose if its content clearly and
simply described how OOoAuthors writers, reviewers, and editors might
use some of the styles and master documents for the various OOoAuthors
user guides. Therefore, the tutorial could help a user write a book in
general, and its content could also be directed towards our OOoAuthors
membership.
It should begin with its objectives spelled out to the reader (for
example, making a book, initially with x number of chapters, but which
is subject to change), giving some exposition about the OOo master
document process and its use of styles. The book writing process should
make use of the example styles already mentioned in the Master Docs
chapter of the Writer Guide, then go into building a master document
incorporating styles.
Some custom styles will be assembled from scratch in order to illustrate
just how making new styles are accomplished. It isn't necessary for the
reader to make all the styles, but a few should be built from the ground
up. The remaining styles could be preassembled, possibly stored in a
template. The tutorial could also contain some ideas for building a
template for making this book.
Next, various miniature "chapters" would be constructed, perhaps, using
the WG chapters as guides. For example, a mini chapter could deal with
embedding a graphic and use it in a figure (or table) with captioning,
and another chapter might construct a table and header and captioning.
After all the mini chapters are completed, the master document assembles
the "book". Because the chapters will have an even number of pages,
figure on using two pages max for each chapter, although there could be
larger chapters. (A chapter could be less than a page, though, with a
blank even-numbered page following.)
The files for each "chapter" could already contain some text so the
reader would only need to add whatever each chapter deals with. However,
at least one chapter should be started from scratch also. These chapter
files (and, perhaps, some graphic files) would need to be parked on a
server somewhere for downloading by readers.
It wouldn't hurt to also include all the finished files stored in
another folder somewhere in case a reader becomes confused or chooses
not to build the master document and mini chapters (subdocuments for the
master document). That way a newbie might get an idea of what to expect
when making a book with a master document and its constituent subdocuments.
The book will have a ToC and a simple index. So some exposition about
each will be necessary.
Gary
- [authors] WG Tutorial writer(s) needed Gary Schnabl
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