RE: [docbook-apps] GSoC 2011 project idea: DocBook Slides 5.0

["honyk" <j.tosovsky@email.cz>]

Gabor,

> My idea is to take the old and outdated DocBook Slides schema,
> provide a RELAX NG schema and then review and update it ...

I am in the final stage of implementing a docbook based workflow for our
Training Center. The idea was to produce outputs for both classroom tranings
(PDF) and eLearning (set of HTML pages) from the single source (the complete
PowerPoint replacement ;-)

A current slides vocabulary was too limited so I ended up with the standard
docbook schema. Almost everything is done via itemizedlists and mediaobjects
included in chapters and sections, but with extensive use of the role
attribute :-(

So I think there is really a room for making any schema which will be fitted
to its purpose much better (keep semantics). 

The question is, if it still has something to do with 'Docbook'. 
A new schema doesn't have to share any docbook element either (though it
would allow to reuse XSLT). But I agree that Docbook-slides sound more sexy
than yet-another-noname-slides schema. I think the presentation area is very
general topic with many specific requirements. We should consider carefully
what should be the goal. Simple presentations? Ok. Complex ones? None of us
is probably professional in this area to be able to cover everything
necessary (exams, quizzes, text-to-speech, SCORM/AICC stuff). Do we need yet
another simple but incomplete slides schema? Are we willing to invest a huge
effort into quasi-professional one? Or do we prefer core docbook
functionality? ;-)

Also a support in WYSIWYG editors should be mentioned (the only solution for
non techie end-users). While docbook-based slides (my approach) can be used
instantly, any 'exotic' schema has to be configured first (until it is
widely spread and adopted).

Regards,
Jan