This is something i had in mind for some time and i wanted to suggest it
before the release of final Povray 3.5 when everyone will start working on
custom versions again.

I noticed that the various unofficial versions have documentation of very
different form. For example:  

Megapov has HTML and Windows help format documentation
PovMan comes with HTML, but the clothray part in a separate file of
different form
Megapov Plus has several plain text files
MLPov a website with description and examples

I think it would be good if we could introduce some standards for future
patch documentation, Megapov already merges the documentations of various
patches in one file, especially the 'Megapov + X' patches would profit
from extending this to a general patch documentation system.  

My suggestion would be to ask the patch authors to supply documentation in
basic HTML and to develop a script that generates an index file from all
the documentation parts relevant for the distribution.  Authors of new
patches who use already existing unofficial versions as a basis would only
need to put together the different documentation parts, generate the index
and put everything in the distribution and the user would have all
necessary documentation accessible through one index file.  There could
also be hooks in the Windows and Mac GUIs to access this file from within
the program.

This is only meant as a basis for further discussion, it would be
interesting to know:

- whether patch authors think this is feasible and useful
- if other methods would be better
- if such a system is created how it should be established (maybe
something like official patch documentation guidelines?)

Opinions?


Christoph

-- 
POV-Ray tutorials, IsoWood include,                 
TransSkin and more: http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0013390/  
Last updated 14 Apr. 2002 _____./\/^>_*_<^\/\.______

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