[Ktechlab-devel] Some brainstorming...

[Thomas Winkel]

Am Freitag 13 Januar 2006 01:06 schrieb David Saxton:
> I'll see if tables can be implemented easily as well.
Tables would be nice, at the moment it is not even possible to edit existing 
tables created in an external html program.

> How I imagine the context help editor working is thus:
>
> * All the strings from the items are extracted and placed in
> "context_help_de", etc, files (this can't be done until the latest
> translated strings are being used - so I don't want to generate the files
> yet if anyone is translating any context help.
Ok, but from now I will place part descriptions in .htm files, named as the 
described part, or what are your plannings? Where should I store this 
(German) files? ./doc/context_help/de/ ?

> * When editing the context help, there could be a switch between editing
> the English version of the help and the native language version. This way,
> the descriptions can be kept reasonably in sync.
Good idea

> * It might be useful for people doing documentation to have a subversion
> account, so that the descriptions in different languages can be kept
> up-to-date with each other.
If you are not afraid, I may damage something... ;)

> Comments, suggestions, etc are welcome :)
I have done a screenshot to show what it could look like:
http://www.thomas-winkel.de/ktechlab.png

* At moment KSpell checks the html source and not the viewed text.
* Bold, underline and Italian could be stored in one "popup icon" in order to
   make place for other functions.
* The same could be done with html functions like listing, tabular,
   separator, etc.
* When text changed ktechlab should ask to save it when the user clicks an
   other object.
* There may be a "back" buttom while browsing which goes inactive when the
   selected object description is shown. I have some further links in my
   descriptions which may also be accessed from other objects (see
   screenshot). Or is there a html solution for doing that?
* I have some external links, these should open in an external browser. At
   moment a blank page is shown and the only way back is to reselect the
   object.
* There may be a switch between html source and preview.
* The result looks different from konqueror, there are some spaces missing
   and the formula should be red on gray background and centered.
   How can this happen? I think both uses khtml... (see screenshot)
* The arrows in my screenshot are really ugly ;) Could you make the spikes
   thinner, maybe as an option in the item editor?
* This may be really hard, but do you think you could provide an easy way to
   include nice formulas? Do you know the LaTeX plugin for kopete (kopetex)?
   maybe you can make use from it?
   Mozillas mathml could also be an option, I don't know if KDE support it.
* We should provide a draft for new descriptions in order to get a consistent
   look. This draft could be shown for not documented objects and keywords.
   So for example the keyword "Übertragungsfunktion" (transfer-function) in
   the screenshot is not documented yet. This draft should invite a user to
   document it and send it to the list.
* Could you provide a way to open example circuits, flowcode, etc. from help?

Regards,
Thomas