Tools for developing the Ubuntu Desktop Training Course

During the development of the Desktop course the need for better tools to enable people to edit and contribute was identified. Please test the following tools.

Editors

See also:

• http://wiki.docbook.org/topic/DocBookAuthoringTools

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DocBookEditors

• http://www.brainbell.com/tutorials/XML/Selecting_An_XML_Editor.htm

• http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/practical_applications_xml?page=0%2C0

• http://www.eclipse.org/articles/article.php?file=Article-Authoring-With-Eclipse/index.html

LyX

LyX is not a viable option, not even with a lot of effort.

Pros

• Your opinion might be here

Cons

• Lyx support for DocBook seems to be limited to:

  • Docbook sgml (not xml!)
  • only for older versions up to 1.2.0

  • only export to DocBook (lyx-to-x)

  • see also http://wiki.lyx.org/LyX/DocBook

  • the tool: http://www.karakas-online.de/mySGML/

Eclipse

Eclipse is a Java based IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Plugins for the bazaar VCS and XML exist:

• http://bazaar-vcs.org/BzrEclipse

  • depends on bzr-xmloutput, see http://bazaar-vcs.org/

  • installation instructions on the website
• vex eclipse plugin

  • http://vex.sourceforge.net

  • lgpl, free license
  • wysiwyg docbook editing
  • doesn't seem to support xinclude (yet?)

  • vex cookbook: VexCookbook.pdf

  • latest release 2005/04/05
  • seems to be +- unmaintained since 03/2007 (might encourage author?)
  • looks like best candidate for extension into a full free speech docbook solution
• oxygen

  • http://www.oxygenxml.com/docbook_editor.html

  • wysiwyg editing
  • 1 click pdf conversion
  • looks like best candidate for immediate use

• http://www.xmlbuddy.com/

  • free beer, not speech
  • installation: Unzip plugin to Eclipse plugin directory
  • no wysiwyg editing

Pros

• might be able to develop 'rich client' based on Eclipse
• integration with bazaar
• plugins are exchangeble, e.g. oxygen instead of xmlbuddy

Cons

• Initial setup of plugins difficult, not possible through Synaptic
• Complete IDE interface is bloated for the task at hand

XMLmind

• http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/

• not free-as-in-freedom software !

Syntext Serna

• http://www.syntext.com/products/serna/order.htm

Butterfly XML editor

• http://butterflyxml.org

Conglomerate

• WYSIWYG XML Editor
• not stable

• DocBook XML

• maintenance mode, see http://lists.copyleft.no/pipermail/conglomerate-devel/2007-July/003744.html