20091217094941_-0600: Guy Dalziel <in dementedfury> wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 03:12:49PM +0000, akhiezer wrote:
> > Would it be useful to also wrap the '<#paper_size#>' in a css (or
> > similar) style, so that it can readily be made to stand out more,
> > visually?
>
> As has been said before LFS is an educational book: if someone makes
> the mistake of not changing <paper_size>, then it makes you wonder if 
> they read the book at all since the Groff page mentions PAGE=letter and 
> PAGE=A4 in the first paragraph. I fail to see how that could be missed 
> considering that it's practically the only text on there. We expect 
> people to have a certain amount of expertise before they attempt this, 
> and I don't think it will do any good to lower the entry level. Causing 
> an error should be more than sufficient.
>

In the book's xml sources, the 'replaceable' tag is of course already 
used for this sort of text: the underlying XML structure is already in 
place. I'm just suggesting that perhaps an adjustment - if not unduly 
awkward or convoluted etc - be made on the css/rendering sides such 
that those components stand out more visually.

Although the matter wasn't a problem here - as noted in text that you 
excised from the earlier post - it _did_ occur to me that it was a part 
of the book that _might_ trip folks up, e.g. if they weren't exercising 
due care.

Yes, there's the question of levels of barriers to entry. But you guys 
go so far as to format the book 'nicely' as HTML, presumably partly 
because it's more readable for more folks - and thus less error-prone 
for more folks - than just, say, a plain ol' ascii text file: if you 
read the plain ascii doc carefully, then ipso facto there should be no 
such problems.

So why bother with a 'nicely-formatted' html doc. It's of course a 
matter of degree in how accommodating you want to be to users, and to 
change things if there's enough instances of problems over aspects that 
you yourself might not at all, ever, expect or experience issues with 
yourself.

If the css/rendering change is relatively easy, then how about 
_refining_ the rendering of the HTML, so that even less folks hit any 
problems. Or are you happy with the current level?

> p.s., This discussion is on the wrong list.

Yeah, pretty sure that's been noticed; and folks decided nonetheless to 
keep the thread. Are you able to shift it over to correct list.



akhiezer





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