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

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

On Sat, 2005-09-10 at 23:16 -0500, David Cramer (Tech Pubs) wrote:

> 
> The problem I see is that while some existing xml editors give you
> convenience features for DocBook out of the box, none really matches the
> ease of use of a garden variety dtp tool. Take xrefs. 
Good example. Whilst Word (and ooo? I'm not sure) supports xrefs,
I find them clunky and not very clever.
On that basis I wouldn't ask non xml users to generate them.
If needed they could be added in an XML processing phase.
A possibility would be the markdown ideas, but again that's not
intuitive.

Another aspect I'm beginning to challenge for my use is the complexity
of docbook.
None of the media I produce require nested wrappers (or more accurately
I've found no need for them *yet*!). 
Based on that and other reviews, I'm beginning to think I can
use the 'simple' XML output for what is probably the 80%.

If I needed full blown docbook, then (IMHO) that needs an XML geek.
Not a job I'd give to an admin type or text handler.

> I think the lack of basic convenience features is a hindrance to
> adoption. Ironically, it's easy to imagine an editor that not only gives
> you the typical dtp convenience features, but does things no
> unstructured tool ever could.

A WYSIWYG editor? I can see some overlap,
but I guess I'm assuming two areas without overlap.

regards DaveP