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Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] First post, first questions


I18n is not really an issue since our product is developed for german
speaking european countries only; it's a  very specialized software
suite for universities. Possibly French and Italian will be added in the
medium term.

You're right. Client-side full text search is definitely the tricky
part. I searched the net for the last two or three hours but couldn't
find something really useable. Server-side searching might be an option
since I plan to point a web server to the final WebHelp files anyway.

I'll have a look at eclipse infocenter, perhaps this is something I
could use. Thanks for the link :).

Thomas




David Cramer schrieb:
> The tricky part of adding client-side search is finding something that
> is really internationalized (can handle asian languages) and is free or
> reasonably priced.
>
> Does your situation allow you to run an Eclipse infocenter? I.e. if
> you're planning to make your content on the web and can do more than
> just a web server, then it might be an option. Then you get toc, index,
> search (internationalized), search highlighting, search scoping, deep
> linking, etc. The portal would look something like this (but with your
> own banner and content):
>
> http://help.eclipse.org/help33/index.jsp
>
> If you're just producing help for a webapp, it's probably a little heavy
> for the task. 
>
> The docbook xsls already support generating content for eclipse. 
>
> David 
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Thomas Gier [mailto:mail@thomasgier.de] 
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 10:05 AM
>> To: David Cramer
>> Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] First post, first questions
>>
>> David,
>>
>> thanks for your quick response.
>>
>> What would be nice to have is:
>>
>> - Table of Content
>> - Index
>> - full text search
>>
>> The "vision" I'm having is to publish to PDF and additionally 
>> publish the same stuff as HTML, point a web server to it and 
>> call it "info system" or the like. People should be able to 
>> browse and search the content and use a ToC and an index 
>> provided in a side pane. If they're using our applications 
>> online help systems (which provide only brief
>> help) they should be able to click on a link and thus find 
>> more detailed information inside the info system.
>>
>> ToC and index seem to be easy, since your stylesheet already 
>> provide these. Full text search is something that could 
>> possibly be implemented by myself. I don't know of way how to 
>> do this by now, though. Together with linking from inside the 
>> application's online help system this seem to be the hard part.
>>
>> I think WebHelp suits these requirements best but maybe it 
>> turns out to be the wrong format. I think I'm going to find 
>> out when I start digging into and using your stylesheet.
>>
>> Anyway, any thought, hint or tip is much appreciated.
>>
>>
>> Best regards
>> Thomas
>>
>> --
>> Technical writer
>> Aachen, Germany
>>
>> David Cramer schrieb:
>>     
>>> Thomas,
>>> The link to the applethelp stuff changed when the project switched 
>>> from cvs to svn. It hasn't been updated in a while, so may 
>>>       
>> need some 
>>     
>>> changes to synch it up with the latest version of the xsls:
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> http://docbook.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/docbook/trunk/contrib/xsl/ap
>>     
>>> pl
>>> ethelp/
>>>
>>> But let's back up a bit. Depending on your needs, there might be a 
>>> better way to do it. For example, here's an example of 
>>>       
>> someone using a 
>>     
>>> tree control library to do the toc pane:
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/docbook-apps/200804/msg00074.html
>>     
>> http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/docbook-apps/200804/msg00095.html
>>     
>>>  
>>> The applethelp stuff gives you a toc and index tab in a nav 
>>>       
>> pane, but 
>>     
>>> I don't recall (and doubt) if it gives you deep linking or 
>>>       
>> synching of 
>>     
>>> the toc and suspect it would be difficult to add.
>>>
>>> It could be that you'd be better off starting with a 
>>>       
>> javascript tree 
>>     
>>> control thingy. You could then add some code to support 
>>>       
>> deep linking 
>>     
>>> to a topic (such that the toc pane still appears) and for a 
>>>       
>> synch toc 
>>     
>>> button.
>>>
>>> So first off, what features do you need?
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Thomas Gier [mailto:mail@thomasgier.de]
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:53 AM
>>>> To: DocBook-Apps List
>>>> Subject: [docbook-apps] First post, first questions
>>>>
>>>> Hello list,
>>>>
>>>> after 3 or 4 years of DocBook abstinence I'm now with a 
>>>>         
>> company where 
>>     
>>>> they let me work out a concept and decide on the tool chain. From 
>>>> what I read on the net I understand that lots of improvements have 
>>>> been made on the DocBook stylesheets since I last laid a 
>>>>         
>> hand on one 
>>     
>>>> and I seem to have to learn quite a bit - perfect.
>>>>
>>>> I'm thinking of not only publishing PDF but also WebHelp using the 
>>>> DocBook 5 stylesheets. From this article [1] I learn, that 
>>>>         
>> WebHelp is 
>>     
>>>> generally possible. Fine.
>>>> Unfortunately the link to SourceForge is broken in this 
>>>>         
>> article but 
>>     
>>>> fortunately I found applethelp.xsl on Krugle [2].
>>>> Fine again.
>>>>
>>>> But anything I found regarding applethelp.xsl are comments on this 
>>>> list from around 2004, which makes me wonder if I'm on the 
>>>>         
>> verge of 
>>     
>>>> using outdated techniques. So here are my questions:
>>>>
>>>> - Is there another way to create WebHelp from DocBook files?
>>>> - Is the version of applethelp.xsl on krugle the latest?
>>>>
>>>> Now I go trying to make applethelp.xsl to work unless someone more 
>>>> knowledgeable than me stops me from trying ...
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance for any comments.
>>>>
>>>> Best regards
>>>> Thomas Gier
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Technical writer
>>>> Aachen, Germany
>>>>
>>>> [1] http://www.scottnesbitt.net/techdocs/WebHelp_with_DocBook.html
>>>> [2] http://www.krugle.org/kse/files?query=applethelp#6
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>     
>>>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: 
>>>>         
>> docbook-apps-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org
>>     
>>>> For additional commands, e-mail: 
>>>> docbook-apps-help@lists.oasis-open.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>   
>>>       
>>     
>
>   



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