DITA (from IBM, Open Source) is somewhat similar to DocBook (XML files), but may be more suitable for jallib use. While Docbook is used to strictly build a whole content of information (say a book), DITA allow to have information splitted and aggregated, to build different content version. Ex: tutorials can be used to produce a tutorial book, but maybe some of them, the most important ones, could be used to enrich an jallib introduction document. That's just an example.
DITA Toolkit can be downloaded here: http://dita-ot.sourceforge.net/ . I used version 1.5. Dealing with XML files can be a pain. I tried to find decent XML editors, and found two: XXE (http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/) and, more recently, Serna (http://www.syntext.com/products/serna/). The idea to have an XML editor with some specific DITA features. I've found Serna being very pleasant to use (yes, Joep, pleasant :)). In order to compile my tutorials book, you can issue the following commands (under linux): export DITA_HOME=path/to/your/dita/toolkit cd $DITA_HOME ./startcmd.sh # this sets a lot of env variables cd path/to/jallib cd doc/dita/tutorials # common ant commands, passing args ant -f /opt/DITA-OT1.5/build_demo.xml -Dprompt.ditamap.filename=/absolute/path/to/jallib/doc/dita/tutorials/tutorials.ditamap # answer questions tutorials.ditamap is an XML files, aggregating different other files, that is, tutorials themselves. Follow links and have a look at other XML files. Using serna (or XXE), you can have a "nice" preview in the editor itself. I'd need to write some more documentation, but may still wait until we agree on a documentation tool. Cheers, Seb -- Sébastien Lelong http://www.sirloon.net http://sirbot.org 2009/9/21 mattschinkel <[email protected]> > > I'll look into DITA more if you can give me some info on it. The > problem is that I cannot see it and have no idea how to use it. > > I would prefer if tutorials start on a webpage with a CMS, then > migrate to dita automatically, then to a compiled book automatically. > Is this possible? > > I don't know much about your documentation or how it works, so I don't > know what is possible and what is not. I would also like to see your > book in xml or html format. > > Matt. > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "jallib" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jallib?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
