Here are some thoughts about the strategy for module generation.
Please read, please comment.

All the module-specific docs can be generated from "information" 
provided by each module. This could be:

1) xdoclet/modules/foo/src/META-INF/xtags.xml
This file is hand-written, and should be maintained by the module 
authors.
We are already able to generate a nice table describing the tags. Done 
with XSLT.
result: xdoclet/dist/docs/tags/foo-tags.html

2) xdoclet/modules/foo/src/xdoclet/modules/foo/FooSubTask.java
We can add @tags on the setFoo and createFoo methods. Then use XDoclet
to generate subtask docs. (describing what to put in the build.xml 
scripts)
result: xdoclet/dist/docs/subtasks/foo-subtask.html
This needs to be done.

3) xdoclet/modules/foo/src/xdoclet/modules/foo/FooTagsHandler.java
We already have a documentation "engine" for taghandlers.
However, I think we should give this low priority, as it is only 
xdoclet module developers that care about these docs. Users first!
Besides, when we move to Velocity (which I expect start pretty soon on 
a VELOCITY branch after our next release), taghandlers will disappear,
and we'll need a different documentation system for that part of 
XDoclet.

Today, these documents mentioned under 1) and 2) are hand-written. They 
are also in the same document. I suggest we keep them separate.

The core docs (tutorial, architecture, general blabla) can be generated 
using stylebook. That means that we maintain this doco in XML 
documents. Stylebook converts it to HTML using an XSL-based skin we can 
tailor to our taste. If we go for stylebook, it would be nice to have 
the TOC for modules in the left menu (see cactus site). In order to 
achieve that, we can have the book.xml (the source of the left 
stylebook menu) generated from a book.xdt. This template would fill in 
the links to the module docs.

We should come to a consensus on these matters quickly, since it has an 
impact on what strategy we choose for generating the docs. -Especially 
on the generation of the modules-toc which Mathias is working on right 
now.

Thoughts?

Aslak





_______________________________________________________________

Have big pipes? SourceForge.net is looking for download mirrors. We supply
the hardware. You get the recognition. Email Us: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
Xdoclet-devel mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xdoclet-devel

Reply via email to