All right, I'm ready to get started on writing my book. My publisher wants the document in Word format. I'm starting in some form of ASCII, quite likely reST. What do people recommend as the best path for getting from here to there? Is anyone else using reST for long technical documents? In the absence of better advice, I'm going to convert to OpenOffice's XML format, then use OpenOffice to convert to Word. One way or another, I'm assuming that Python will be used for at least the first stage of translation. -- Aahz (aahz@pythoncraft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/ "In the end, outside of spy agencies, people are far too trusting and willing to help." --Ira Winkler
On Sun, 2 Jun 2002, Aahz wrote:
All right, I'm ready to get started on writing my book. My publisher wants the document in Word format. I'm starting in some form of ASCII, quite likely reST. What do people recommend as the best path for getting from here to there? Is anyone else using reST for long technical documents?
In the absence of better advice, I'm going to convert to OpenOffice's XML format, then use OpenOffice to convert to Word. One way or another, I'm assuming that Python will be used for at least the first stage of translation.
just for fun i started a try at a pdf writer, but have not really much time so if you really need a writer i might try to adapt or make a different one. for going to word html might be not a bad option as word would read it as i heard. what means word actually, a word readable format is definately something different ? would rtf be word enough ? -- BINGO: Think outside the box --- Engelbert Gruber -------+ SSG Fintl,Gruber,Lassnig / A6410 Telfs Untermarkt 9 / Tel. ++43-5262-64727 ----+
just for fun i started a try at a pdf writer, but have not really much time so if you really need a writer i might try to adapt or make a different one.
Reportlab.com has an open source PDF writing library in Python. See http://Reportlab.com/opensource.html. --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
Engelbert Gruber wrote:
just for fun i started a try at a pdf writer, but have not really much time so if you really need a writer i might try to adapt or make a different one.
Guido van Rossum wrote:
Reportlab.com has an open source PDF writing library in Python. See http://Reportlab.com/opensource.html.
Engelbert's PDF writer for Docutils is an interface to ReportLab. -- David Goodger <goodger@users.sourceforge.net> Open-source projects: - Python Docutils: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/ (includes reStructuredText: http://docutils.sf.net/rst.html) - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net/
On Mon, Jun 03, 2002, grubert@users.sourceforge.net wrote:
On Sun, 2 Jun 2002, Aahz wrote:
In the absence of better advice, I'm going to convert to OpenOffice's XML format, then use OpenOffice to convert to Word. One way or another, I'm assuming that Python will be used for at least the first stage of translation.
just for fun i started a try at a pdf writer, but have not really much time so if you really need a writer i might try to adapt or make a different one.
As Guido said, ReportLab has a PDF product; in fact, I use PythonPoint for my presentations (see my web page for examples). But I don't think that will help for getting to Word format.
for going to word html might be not a bad option as word would read it as i heard. what means word actually, a word readable format is definately something different ? would rtf be word enough ?
RTF is an old format with few features; in particular, it doesn't support index tags. :-( I suspect HTML would have the same problem; I'll assume it does unless someone can tell me otherwise from direct experience. What I'd really like is a DocBook-to-Word converter, but I haven't seen anything like that. If I don't get anything here, my next step is to ask on comp.text.xml. -- Aahz (aahz@pythoncraft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/ "In the end, outside of spy agencies, people are far too trusting and willing to help." --Ira Winkler
Aahz wrote:
All right, I'm ready to get started on writing my book.
Great! What's the title and/or subject, if you can say? Are there any special features you'll need?
My publisher wants the document in Word format.
My condolences.
I'm starting in some form of ASCII, quite likely reST.
Glad to hear it. I (and hopefully others involved with Docutils) will be happy to help. But are there any other requirements other than "Word"? When I wrote a chapter on Python for Wrox [*]_, they sent me an elaborate (and broken) stylesheet to use. Anything like that? Could be significant. .. [*] *Professional Linux Programming*, chapter 15. My mug is at the far right, second from the top. Once you produce a Word document, I assume your publisher will add comments to the Word files and send them back to you for revision. (Wrox loved using Word's comment feature.) Will your publisher insist on preserving the comments and revision history? If they do insist on "read-write" Word files, you're screwed, and are stuck with Word. If they'll accept fresh, uncommented drafts each time, then using a toolchain to generate Word files as a final, read-only display format should be feasible. On second thought, I think you can merge versions of documents in Word, so you might be safe either way.
What do people recommend as the best path for getting from here to there?
My first thought on an interchange format would be RTF. I believe RTF can identify Word stylesheet styles by name, but I don't know it well. However: [Engelbert Gruber]
for going to word html might be not a bad option as word would read it as i heard. what means word actually, a word readable format is definately something different ? would rtf be word enough ?
[Aahz]
RTF is an old format with few features; in particular, it doesn't support index tags.
If anyone cares to dig in deep, the RTF 1.6 spec is online at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/dnrtfspec/html/rtfspec .asp The 1.7 spec can be downloaded from: http://download.microsoft.com/download/Word2002/Install/1.7/W98NT42KMeXP/EN- US/W2KRTFSF.exe
I suspect HTML would have the same problem; I'll assume it does unless someone can tell me otherwise from direct experience.
With the "class" attribute on "span" and "group" elements, HTML can represent literally anything, if indirectly and inelegantly. The problem is, can the software *reading* the HTML (Word, in this case) *do* anything with this information? Probably not. You'll need more direct access to native features.
Is anyone else using reST for long technical documents?
Probably the longest existing documents in reStructuredText are those *describing* reStructuredText and Docutils: the specs and user docs. They're probably book-length in total. But I'm happy you're working to topple the record.
In the absence of better advice, I'm going to convert to OpenOffice's XML format, then use OpenOffice to convert to Word.
I found docs on the StarOffice XML spec (which is the draft for OpenOffice) at http://xml.openoffice.org/. It looks much more promising than RTF. If it's a reasonable markup -- and it appears to be so -- then I don't forsee any major problems with an "OpenOffice Writer" for Docutils. Any takers?
What I'd really like is a DocBook-to-Word converter, but I haven't seen anything like that. If I don't get anything here, my next step is to ask on comp.text.xml.
I wouldn't be surprised if DocBook-to-Word converters *do* exist. The question then becomes, how to produce the DocBook? Would you still use reStructuredText? A "DocBook Writer" for Docutils shouldn't be too challenging.
One way or another, I'm assuming that Python will be used for at least the first stage of translation.
Just so long as you understand the current limitations, and you're realistic in your expectations. Docutils has a lot of growing and evolving yet to come. A lot of the support you need isn't in place yet. How much time will *you* be able to put in to the tools? If you're under serious deadline pressure, you may want to reconsider. Docutils is progressing, but only in people's spare time. Did that scare you off? If not, I'm sure that together we can come up with a decent system. Input from real-life usage like this is invaluable. Docutils will undoubtedly benefit. Please join the Docutils implementation mailing list: http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/docutils-develop/. Mostly, we discuss the nitty-gritties there, and high-level stuff here. -- David Goodger <goodger@users.sourceforge.net> Open-source projects: - Python Docutils: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/ (includes reStructuredText: http://docutils.sf.net/rst.html) - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net/
participants (4)
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Aahz -
David Goodger -
grubert＠users.sourceforge.net -
Guido van Rossum