[drupal-docs] Handbook v2

[Steven Peck]

Actually they do.  Initial documentation formats can determine how
flexible you can be later.  Pausing now to establish the standard you
are going for is a good thing.  They deal with how to avoid 'suckiness'
in the future. :)

There are a lot of tools that can be used to manipulate the output of
DocBook formatted text.  HTML online, offline, pdf, rtf, etc.  It can be
stored in CVS, which will let you version the documentation and revert
back a level should that become necessary.  It is what a lot of Open
Source software is documented in.

A brief pause to discuss this is not out of line.  Once it was brought
up, it is important to decide once and for all.  As much as a pain it is
to switch over and learn it, it will help in the long run.  In the mean
time, work on the wiki in regards to the structure can go on.  Adding
actual docs to the wiki can go on and be converted later.  Dries
mentioned that he raised this point a while ago, so if we have enough
willing people to go at it this time around so those who come after us
don't have to revisit it again, then so be it.

In the meantime, people can still write stuff. :)

-sp

> -----Original Message-----
> From: drupal-docs-bounces at drupal.org 
> [mailto:drupal-docs-bounces at drupal.org] On Behalf Of Anisa
> 
> My impression is, from what ya'll have said, and from reading a teeny 
> bit about DocBooks and LaTeX is, well, 1) the Drupal 
> Handbook...is NOT a 
> 600 page science text book.  ^.^;;
> 
> 2) These things don't deal with the suckiness of the handbook and the 
> user oriented documentation.  They basically, correct me if I 
> am wrong, 
> apply certain styles to a given text to make it presentable, make it 
> easier to update that text and let you see previous versions 
> of that text. 
> 
> 
> Anisa.