Re: [docbook-apps] Using OpenOffice as a DocBook editor

[Dave Pawson <davep@dpawson.co.uk>]

On Thu, 2005-09-08 at 14:08 -0400, Stefan Seefeld 

> > If you think you can channel peoples creativity with pointy brackets
> > rather than an office tool, go ahead and try.
> >  I've tried for 7 years and failed.
> > If you get it to work, bottle it and sell it Sean!
> > 
> > It's the people problem, as XP is wont to tell us.
> > 
> > At least with OoO we are starting from something people are familiar
> > with.
> 
> I don't quite agree. Letting people mess with xml syntax is not the alternative,
> but making them think about the semantics (i.e. the structure) instead of the
> style, is.
> If you force people to ask the right question, i.e. 'what do you *really*
> want to do' whenever they are tempted to decorate some text with a different style,
> they may understand and adher to any given structural constraint.

Have you tried it? We have, and failed.
The answer to 'what do you want' is generally described in terms
appearance
A big header, a smaller header, heading level n etc.

> 
> If the editor people are using has menu items such as 'emphasis' or 'paragraph'
> instead of 'italic' and 'line break', they may understand what structured documents
> are about. 

Styles? 
My starting point. 
A restricted set is an ideal starting point. 
And without 'forcing' people, should (and can be) the limit
of what needs to be shown.

Line break makes no sense outside of XML (IMHO).
I wanna line break? I hit return.

regards DaveP