On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 9:17 PM, Andy Brown <[email protected]> wrote: > Rob Weir wrote: >> I like the idea of using ODF, for the reasons you state. >> >> I assuming this implies ODF files in the SVN repository. If so, we're >> going to have three pain points: >> >> 1) Since ODF is not a text format, diff's are not possible with the >> default SVN tools. Yes, we can do change tracking inside of the >> document, but it is harder to monitor changes to an ODF document in >> the repository by looking at commit messages. >> >> 2) How do non-committer contributors submit user guide patches and how >> are they reviewed and applied? >> >> 3) Similar to #2, how do we merge changes if multiple committers >> modify the same file? >> >> None of these are killers. We could reduce the the impact of #3 if we >> used fine-grained ODF documents. So instead of 100 page documents, >> have ten ten-page documents that could be merged for publication. >> That way we get fewer conflicts. >> >> There are things we could do about #1. SVN allows an external diff >> program. We could write one, perhaps using the ODF Toolkit, that >> extracts text and diffs it. Similarly, we could write an ODF patch >> utility. Yes, this is extra work, but it is useful and would benefit >> more than just OOo. >> >> -Rob >> > > Hi Rob, > > I agree with Jean. The manuals can be uploaded or linked to the wiki > page. There is no need to reinvent a system that works as well as the > ODFAuthors does. Forcing people to lean a new system that they have no > interest in will only drive contributors away. > > Andy > >
Can you clarify, please? Is the intent to make ODFAuthors be part of the Apache OpenOffice project, e.g. run on Apache servers with PMC-elected committers having write access, other contributing authors submitting patches before being eventually voted in as committers, all working in the Apache project lists, transparently, with all work under the Apache license, with the PMC setting overall direction and approving releases? Is that the idea? If so, this would be great. -Rob
