discuss: Thread: Docbook and FAQs

I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.

Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?


Owen 

-- 

Owen,

I use DocBook/XML to create our internal IT FAQs. The FAQs are served by
Tomcat+Cocoon, and stored in a Xindice DB.

Here is an e.g
http://www.xml-dev.com:8080/cocoon/mount/docbook/linux-faq.html
http://www.xml-dev.com/xml/linux-faq.xml

In Peace

Saqib Ali
---------
http://www.xml-dev.com

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003, Owen wrote:

> I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.
>
> Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?
>
>
> Owen
>
> --
>
> ______________________
> http://lists.tldp.org/
>
>

>I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.

We can't answer that question for you. Only you can. But here are some 
questions to consider.

How big do you expect the FAQ to get? A small FAQ can easily be maintained 
in HTML (and it's easy to make it look pretty, especially using CSS). In a 
large FAQ, it's hard to check all the links, so DocBook's automatic link 
generation and checking are welcome. Remember: DocBook = big.

Do you expect to merge this FAQ into another document? If so, DocBook is a 
good choice because it's easy to merge multiple DocBook documents. (Of 
course, a FAQ in HTML can simply be linked to.)

By the way, if you write the FAQ in DocBook, I can show you how to write a 
stylesheet for it in CSS, which is easier to learn than DSSSL. Note that 
the CSS stylesheet won't generate the HTML for you, but the HTML document 
can be generated in such a way that it refers to the CSS stylesheet.

>Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?

My company maintains several FAQs in DocBook, but each is part of a larger 
document (which is itself written in DocBook).

========== Dan Richter ============== ####@####.#### ===========
   BOOT MAGAZINE: Do you consider yourself a celebrity?
   LINUS TORVALDS: Sometimes. ... But at the same time I don't have
         young girls coming and screaming at me and throwing their
         underwear! Which is just as well, as I'm a married man!

The LDP FAQ was written in originally DocBook XML (I helped the author
convert it from plain text).

The link to the html is http://www.tldp.org/FAQ/LDP-FAQ/index.html, and
you should be able to get the source in CVS if you're interested in the
appearance of the markup.

Hope that helps!

Tabatha

On Tue, 2003-09-09 at 00:19, Owen wrote:
> I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.
> 
> Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?
> 
> 
> Owen 
-- 
Tabatha Marshall
Web: www.merlinmonroe.com
Linux Documentation Project Review Coordinator (http://www.tldp.org)
Linux Counter Area Manager US:wa (http://counter.li.org)

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:19:33 +1000
Owen ####@####.#### wrote:

> I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.
> 
> Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?


Thanks to all of you who replied. 

I realise that if it were a small FAQ, just plain old html would do, but sitting on a help desk will see this faq expand and docbook seems to be the simplest solution.

Being new to docbook, the sample docbook FAQs that you pointed out were a great help in getting started.


Thank you


Owen

* Owen; ####@####.#### on 09 Sep, 2003 wrote:
>I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.
>
>Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?
>

http://susefaq.sf.net  is done with Docbook 

-- 

Togan Muftuoglu

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:26:57 +0300
Togan Muftuoglu ####@####.#### wrote:

> * Owen; ####@####.#### on 09 Sep, 2003 wrote:
> >I need to write a FAQ(->html) and wonder if Docbook is the way to go.
> >
> >Can anyone point to an FAQ that started out as an xml/Docbook document?
> >
> 
> http://susefaq.sf.net  is done with Docbook 

Any chance of a cpoy of the source to help me get to grips with docbook?? I like working from examples.



-- 
Regards,

Gavin Henry.

Trying to be a RHCE.....
http://www.magicfx.co.uk