Conference vaxuum::online_bookbuilding

355.0. "Another tool for producing Bookreader files" by DECWET::TARDIFF (It's all rock-and-roll to him.) Wed Jun 27 1990 06:46

 






          DIGITAL       INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM


          TO:      Interested Parties        DATE: 27 June 1990
                                             FROM: Michael J. Tardiff
                                             DEPT: Bookreader Prod-
                                                   uct Management
                                             EXT:  (206) 865-8728
                                             LOC:  ZSO
                                             ENET: rust::tardiff


          SUBJECT: Announcing Opening of Phase 0 for ditroff Online
                   Authoring Tools

          Bookreader is an online information access tool designed
          to make the use and reading of technical documentation and
          other information easy and convenient.

          Currently, two authoring tools available widely within Dig-
          ital can produce Bookreader-format output: VAX DOCUMENT Ver-
          sion 1.2B and DECwrite Version 1.1. Both of these products
          will ship with Bookreader-output features in the coming months,
          DECwrite in September and DOCUMENT at the turn of the year.
          Of these two, only DECwrite executes on ULTRIX systems.

          We have received a considerable number of inquiries about
          if or when we would develop tools to allow those who have
          ditroff source files to process them for use with Bookreader.
          An internal version of such a set of tools is in use to-
          day by a team that is placing all UTLRIX and UWS documen-
          tation online. We are beginning this phase process to gather
          requirements for an external product incorporating the func-
          tionality of these internal tools.

 


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          Digital does not today ship a supported version of the ditroff
          formatter; the internal tools being used today work with
          the developed-but-never-shipped ULTRIX Documentation Tools
          (UDT) package, which is a modified version of AT&T's Doc-
          umentor's Workbench. Given the lack of plans to make UDT
          an external product, the ditroff Online Authoring Tools (dOATS)
          package is currently targeted to work with one or more of
          the popular ditroff formatters on the market.

          We hope to ship Version 1.0 in the beginning of calendar
          1991. Please submit your requirements and suggestions as
          soon as possible, so that we can properly consider your in-
          put.

          To submit a suggestion or requirement for dOATS Version 1.0,
          use the template below to organize your input, then mail
          the completed template (beginning on 28 June 1990) to

                  DECWET::DOATS-REQUIREMENTS

          Your input will be posted as a base note in the
          DECWET::DOATS-REQUIREMENTS notes conference; you are
          invited to examine and comment on the requirements
          posted in that conference.

          If you have questions about dOATS, Bookreader or this
          phase process, contact me by telephone in Bellevue,
          Washington, or by electronic mail.

          Thank you.

 


                                                           Page 3



                        Requirements Input Form for
                       ditroff Online Authoring Tools

          Please extract this template to a file, complete it,
          and mail it to DECWET::DOATS-REQUIREMENTS. An ASCII
          version of this template can be obtained in note 2.0 of
          the DECWET::DOATS-REQUIREMENTS notes conference, or
          copied from the following locations:

                  rust:/usr/osptg/public/dOATS-phase0-input-form.txt
                  DECWET::DOCLIB$:[OSPTG-PUBLIC]DOATS-PHASE0-INPUT-FORM.TXT

          Contact Michael Tardiff at (206) 865-8728 (Pacific
          time), or send eletronic mail to rust::tardiff if you
          have any questions.

          1. Submittor:

          2. Designated Responsible Individual:

                DTN:
                Node:
                Loc/Mail Stop:
                Position:

          3. Engineering or Marketing Group Supporting
             Requirements Request:
             Include the name and a brief description of the
             group.

          4. Abstract:
             Include a brief, single-paragraph, description of
             each requirement.

          5. Description:
             Include a detailed description of each requirement
             and an indication of what you hope to achieve.

 


                                                           Page 4



          6. Schedule:
             Note any schedule concerns for dependent products.

                Specification available (as much detail as is
                appropriate):
                Prototype Available:
                Test Schedule:
                Planned FRS:

          7. Benefit:
             Description of benefit, including substantiating
             data such as installed base, yearly revenue, and so
             on.

          8. Impact of Not Meeting Requirement:
             Describe impact to Digital if this requirement is
             not met. Explain with details in terms of lost
             opportunities and markets.

          9. Justification:
             Include here any other reasons for this request.

          10.Known Issues:
             Include statement of risks to either schedule or
             content.

          11.Support Documents:
             Identify any documents that add detail to the
             request.