JohnBabich/Sandbox/Toolchain

= FOSS Docs Toolchain =

Contents:

DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS

 * The documents are licensed under the Open Publication License (OPL) or compatible license.


 * Only FOSS tools with mutually compatible licenses are used in the tool chain.


 * Existing tools are used whenever possible.


 * Open standards, in file formats, data structures, communications protocols and programming interfaces, are used whenever possible.


 * New tools are designed to be modular and extensible.


 * The resulting process is flexible enough to be performed manually or programmatically, run from the CLI or the GUI, on the client side or on the server side, and allows for choice of favorite editor, SCM and other tools.


 * Python is the preferred scripting tool.


 * The initial implementation is intended for Fedora Linux, but can easily be ported to other distributions, and even other operating systems platforms.


 * If packaged as a complete system, the resulting tool set is licensed under the GPL.

THE DOCUMENTATION WORKFLOW CYCLE


The four stages in the Documentation Workflow Cycle (Patent Pending - Not!) are:

(A) Distributive editing, where writer edits documentation online wiki-style or offline with tagline-capable editor. The writer gets task assignments through Bugzilla. Material edited offline is reposted to the wiki for review and/or further revision by team members.

(B) Editorial review, wiki content reviewed by editors, before it is checked into CVS. Editorial functions include document version tracking, selection of best material from multiple versions, spell checking, and conversion of text to Doc Book conversion may be done manually or automatically.

(C) Persistent storage, edited Doc Book XML with DTD (Document Type Definition)

STAGE B1 - Output / STAGE B2 - Input

 * Valid Doc Book XML into final output format

STAGE B2 - Output

 * HTML


 * PDF


 * Wiki Markup Language

STAGE C: Persistent Storage [Check-in/Check-out]

 * Doc Book XML format in CVS. Several "bugs" are filed against the document in Bugzilla, requiring it to be updated/corrected.

The following sequence of events (or workflow) occurs:

Stage A
The Doc Book XML source.

Stage C
The editor checks the revised Doc Book XML source is converted into valid HTML and is posted on the website as a set of web pages, complete with table of contents and an index. An updated PDF file is also generated and posted to the website for downloading.

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