One of the key tools I’ve been using recently is Docbook. Docbook is an xml-schema which can be used to write documentation for things. This can then be converted via the wonders of XSL, XML and XML-FO processors into PDF, HTML or several other formats. I’ve written all of the documentation for SQLEditor using docbook and it is really handy. Slightly verbose, but really handy.
Unfortunately at the moment there doesn’t seem to be an Apple Help stylesheet for docbook. Since one of my targets is Apple Help this is slightly unfortunate, but I suppose in time either I can write one or someone else will. In the meantime, I’m using the microsoft help stylesheet and altering the results a bit to work with Apple Help.
Docbook is definitely a handy tool for documentation though. I wish I had discovered it earlier.
I have no idea what Apple Help looks like, but I’d love to see it supported directly by the DocBook XSL Stylesheets. If that’s something I can help with, let me know.
I’ve just (manually) packaged the PostgreSQL 8.0.0 Documentation for the Apple Help Viewer. As the documentation source is in DocBook and built using the “Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet”, I, too, would like to see a “DocBook to Apple Help” stylesheet… so count me in ! 🙂
Norman, the Apple Help documentation is available here. That doc still reflects the MacOS X 10.2 implementation, but the 10.3 one is based on WebKit and thus have the same capabilities as Safari, ie. HTML 4.01, CSS 2, JavaScript…