Hello all,
It's good to see the idea of an ICS Help File gaining momentum. I'm indebted
to Francois for the number of years that I have used his components and
would love to give something back. It will be a long-term project and
keeping up the momentum I suspect will be the problem.
Personally, I much prefer a well-indexed CHM file to any other form. One of
my big concerns with a free form wiki solution is that I fear the lack of
any form of uniformity will render the final document somewhat confusing to
new ICS users; the very ones who need a help file the most.
Here is my 2 cent suggestion:
STEP 1
I'm reasonably sure there are one or two share/free-ware tools that will
take a .PAS component file and produce a standard skeleton in a format like
the Delphi help file(s). I.e. producing a section for each component with
links to "Properties", "Methods", "Events" and "Examples".
STEP 2
Having semi-automatically produced an 'empty' help file for each component,
we make the latest (read live) version available online. Users are invited
to then use the wiki system (or something else) to submit their
contributions to fill in one or more of the 'blanks'. For example, I am
(becoming) quite familiar with UDP multi-casting usage of the TWSocket. I
might therefore contribute entries for each of the multi-casting related
properties as well as a few basic examples. A guru on a particular
component, say the HTTP client, might want to contribute more generalised
info, which could go into a notes section etc. I'm sure you get the idea.
STEP 3
Some kind sole updates the skeleton help file periodically 'pasting' in the
contributed text, recompiling the help file and uploading it to the
web-site.
Ah what the heck, let's make it a nickel; here is another 3 cents worth...
What I like about the above is that firstly users are being asked to
contribute 'very small segments', in a format that everybody is familiar
with. This not just looks, but is quick and easy to contribute.
Not being familiar with what would be involved in the wiki to CHM
conversion, I am happy to look at writing a "Delphi" tool which would/could
act as a pop3 client and 'paste' incoming e-mail contributions directly into
the .CHM source. I.e. the contributor simply sends an e-mail to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the help text in the body and a somewhat simple
predefined subject:
Subject Examples:
"component=TWSocket, property=MultiCastIpTTL"
"comp=smtpcli event=onresponse"
"component := thttpcli example"
"component=thttpcli notes"
Other more fancy options could be specified like on the first line etc:
"CONTRIBUTER=Fred Smith"
"contributor=Tom Jones {tom at jones dot com}
Literally, someone can shoot off an entry in three or four minutes. No
learning how to drive some wiki wacky web program <grin>. Seriously, I think
very few non waki people would bother. I say this mainly due to the "Round
Tuit" problem we all encounter from time to time.
Like a few others, I can also contribute web hosting, space is not a
problem, but I'd have to look and see how much of my traffic allowance I am
using.
Regardless of implementation method, I hope we can persuade Francois to put
a message and http address into the source files like "For help file on this
component, go to http://somewhere.com/icshelp";
If there is positive feedback on the POP3 suggestion and someone has a help
tool like I've described and can send me an empty skeleton for an ICS (or
other) component, I will seriously look into the feasibility of writing the
POP3 tool. (If you can produce the skeleton, let me know here and I'll post
a temporary e-mail address).
Regards,
Paul Taylor {Affordable Technology - Perth}
p.s. I have done my damndest to send this as plain text, M$ Outlook says it
is at the top yet I can format text like it was html - thanks Bill?
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.9/261 - Release Date: 15/02/2006
--
To unsubscribe or change your settings for TWSocket mailing list
please goto http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/twsocket
Visit our website at http://www.overbyte.be
