docbook-apps

Re: creating a customization layer

  • 1.  Re: creating a customization layer

    Posted 01-11-2007 00:50
    Hi Aaron,
    Without knowing anything about your knowledge or experience, it would be
    impossible for someone else to estimate how long it would take you. I can
    tell you what needs to be done, and you can estimate from there. When I do
    consulting, I break a project down into work items, such as the following:

    1. Select the subset of DocBook that works with the roundtripping
    stylesheets and meets your needs.

    2. Develop design specifications for those elements for the Word and PDF
    outputs. Do you also need HTML or other outputs?

    3. Develop the Word template to those specs.

    4. If necessary, enhance the WordML-to-DocBook (and reverse) conversion
    stylesheets to meet your specs.

    5. Develop the FO customization layer to meet your specs. Likewise for
    other output formats.

    6. Develop the validation and processing scripts, and assemble into a
    toolkit.

    7. Test and revise.

    8. Write documentation for the users and maintainers.

    9. Train the users and maintainers.

    Perhaps others have suggestions for work items I have missed.

    With the WordML solution, it is important to manage expectations. Users
    won't be able to use all the features of Word, nor all the elements of
    DocBook. They will have to follow more rules than when using Word as a word
    processor. Most of the rules can't be enforced (validated) in Word, and
    will only become enforcable when the DocBook files are validated.

    Bob Stayton
    Sagehill Enterprises
    DocBook Consulting
    bobs@sagehill.net


    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Aaron Mehl - Israel
    To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
    Cc: bobs@sagehill.net
    Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 5:43 AM
    Subject: creating a customization layer


    Hi all,



    I just convinced my company to gradually move to Docbook. They want to
    start off using roundtripping between wordml and Docbook.





    They asked me to find out how long it would take to implement the
    following





    1. Creating Docbook ready MS word templates (this involves changing names
    as well a other long overdue template fixes)



    2. Creating a customization layer to the style sheets to produce output
    like the word template





    How do I determine how long it could take to implement the above items?



    Most of the work I will need to do myself but there is the potential for
    funds to pay someone to help if needed.





    Any ideas on how long this should take?





    Thanks,

    Aaron





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