How do you take your docs, HTML or PDF?
John Russell
>The manuals are much easier
>to consult, particularly if you download the pdfs
>and keep them on your desktop or notebook.
I had a discussion the other day where it was asserted that HTML was
all-around better for certain types of documentation, such as API
reference doc. As an advocate of online documentation in general, I
like HTML for some things and PDF for others. I'm curious how others
feel on that subject.
In particular, if you frequently use PDF:
- Do you view it online (as I interpret Nuno to suggest) or print it
out?
- If you print it out, is there some limitation of having it on the
computer that makes it necessary to have a hardcopy? (E.g. easier to
jot notes, don't always have a computer handy, limited screen size.)
And if you frequently use HTML:
- Do you favour certain types of information, such as API reference,
for looking up online?
I remember hearing a while back that the cryptic PDF names might be a
problem. Someone using the doc CD can pick from a list of books and
open the PDF. (There's an HTML-format page and a PDF-format page,
both linking to all the PDF files.) Do people often use just a couple
of PDFs without having the complete doc CD? I wonder if having some
sort of file-renamer would be handy.
Thanks,
John
Jan Gelbrich
afaiac, I definitely prefer HTML over PDF for all purposes - but others may
disagree, I don´t know.
The reason is, PDFs consume many times more space than HTML of the same
content.
I am making my own documentations in HTML/CSS to use it online; and if
necessary, I can easily change it when detecting errors or addings and so
on.
You do not need any special tools like Frontpage (I actually hate it because
it generates too fat and unnecessary code),
in an plane editor You can do most things by using just 10 tags.
It is easy. The only thing that I miss are mathematic tags like matrices.
One thing is, that I prefer a 2 frame layout whit a slim menu on the left
and the contents pages on the right.
PDFs is - to my ming - only good for printing, especially when you have
graphics inside - that woud be
<img src> in HTML, so one advantage of PDF maybe that is all is kept in one
file.
Some small comments inside...
"John Russell" <netn...@johnrussell.mailshell.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:tiqa5v4u4pro4766l...@4ax.com...
> Noons wrote:
>
> >The manuals are much easier
> >to consult, particularly if you download the pdfs
> >and keep them on your desktop or notebook.
>
> I had a discussion the other day where it was asserted that HTML was
> all-around better for certain types of documentation, such as API
> reference doc. As an advocate of online documentation in general, I
> like HTML for some things and PDF for others. I'm curious how others
> feel on that subject.
I would prefer HTML on all types of documentation.
>
> In particular, if you frequently use PDF:
>
> - Do you view it online (as I interpret Nuno to suggest) or print it
> out?
Most of my PDFs I find when googling around to find answers for some
problems.
I read them roughly when downloading, and when I find them important, I make
a print.
>
> - If you print it out, is there some limitation of having it on the
> computer that makes it necessary to have a hardcopy? (E.g. easier to
> jot notes, don't always have a computer handy, limited screen size.)
>
> And if you frequently use HTML:
>
> - Do you favour certain types of information, such as API reference,
> for looking up online?
>
> I remember hearing a while back that the cryptic PDF names might be a
> problem. Someone using the doc CD can pick from a list of books and
> open the PDF. (There's an HTML-format page and a PDF-format page,
> both linking to all the PDF files.)
>Do people often use just a couple
> of PDFs without having the complete doc CD? I wonder if having some
> sort of file-renamer would be handy.
Definitely it would be. Now I do it all by hands ...
>
> Thanks,
> John
You are welcome
Jan
FC
and created shortcuts with the real names of the books, just to make my life
easier when I want to pick a certain title, while preserving the pointers
contained in some of the books.
Moreover PDFs can be searched for strings easily, which makes them an ideal
choice when you don't remember exactly where a certain piece of information
is located but you know it's somewhere in there.
Bye,
Flavio
PS: And the hardcopy of the whole document or of a few pages is just a
point-and-click away.
Mark D Powell
John, I find the PDF versions generally prints better than the html
versions. I like to print the manuals I decide read from cover to
cover. It is hard to highlight the screen, and keep track of where I
am in the material when I just try to read it online. Also I like to
print off a copy of the sqlldr section of the utilities manual for the
developers. There are times you need to flip back and forth to find
what you need and a hard copy is much better for this than an online
document.
The manuals I like to have hard copies of are Concepts, DBA Admin,
Backups and Recovery, SQL, PL/SQL, and the SQL loader section of
Utilities. But it isn't necessary that I reprint all of these with
every release. It depends on many new features exist in an area and
how old my copy has gotten to be.
-- Mark D Powell --
Noons
>
> I had a discussion the other day where it was asserted that HTML was
> all-around better for certain types of documentation, such as API
> reference doc. As an advocate of online documentation in general, I
> like HTML for some things and PDF for others. I'm curious how others
> feel on that subject.
PDF for just about everything other than API doco.
That one like you point out is easier in html. Like the
Java SDK doco.
>
> - Do you view it online (as I interpret Nuno to suggest) or print it
> out?
View online. It's searchable as a single document. HTML isn't.
Besides, most of the Oracle manuals come with the two pane thing
(index and text panes). Great stuff.
>
> - If you print it out, is there some limitation of having it on the
> computer that makes it necessary to have a hardcopy? (E.g. easier to
> jot notes, don't always have a computer handy, limited screen size.)
Use a notebook, carry it everywhere. And for those ocasions when
it's not practical download some of the summary info into the
PDA and carry that one around.
>
> - Do you favour certain types of information, such as API reference,
> for looking up online?
Yes, with HTML.
>
> I remember hearing a while back that the cryptic PDF names might be a
> problem.
Mine aren't. I just renamed the files to what they are.
Takes a while but once done, it stays. Ideal thing to do
when you're sitting in the train to/from work. ;)
> Someone using the doc CD can pick from a list of books and
> open the PDF. (There's an HTML-format page and a PDF-format page,
> both linking to all the PDF files.) Do people often use just a couple
> of PDFs without having the complete doc CD? I wonder if having some
> sort of file-renamer would be handy.
In XP and 2K, you can associate comments with the name of each file and
they show up as well in the pop-up window you get when resting
the mouse over the file in explorer. Quite handy.
--
Cheers
Nuno Souto
nso...@optusnet.com.au.nospam
Tim X
Jan> Hi. afaiac, I definitely prefer HTML over PDF for all purposes
Jan> - but others may disagree, I don´t know. The reason is, PDFs
Jan> consume many times more space than HTML of the same content. I
Jan> am making my own documentations in HTML/CSS to use it online;
Jan> and if necessary, I can easily change it when detecting errors
Jan> or addings and so on. You do not need any special tools like
Jan> Frontpage (I actually hate it because it generates too fat and
Jan> unnecessary code), in an plane editor You can do most things by
Jan> using just 10 tags. It is easy. The only thing that I miss are
Jan> mathematic tags like matrices.
Jan> One thing is, that I prefer a 2 frame layout whit a slim menu on
Jan> the left and the contents pages on the right.
Jan> PDFs is - to my ming - only good for printing, especially when
Jan> you have graphics inside - that woud be <img src> in HTML, so
Jan> one advantage of PDF maybe that is all is kept in one file.
Jan> Some small comments inside...
Jan> "John Russell" <netn...@johnrussell.mailshell.com> schrieb im
Jan> Newsbeitrag news:tiqa5v4u4pro4766l...@4ax.com...
>> Noons wrote:
>>
>> >The manuals are much easier >to consult, particularly if you
>> download the pdfs >and keep them on your desktop or notebook.
>>
>> I had a discussion the other day where it was asserted that HTML
>> was all-around better for certain types of documentation, such as
>> API reference doc. As an advocate of online documentation in
>> general, I like HTML for some things and PDF for others. I'm
>> curious how others feel on that subject.
Jan> I would prefer HTML on all types of documentation.
>> In particular, if you frequently use PDF:
>>
>> - Do you view it online (as I interpret Nuno to suggest) or print
>> it out?
Jan> Most of my PDFs I find when googling around to find answers for
Jan> some problems. I read them roughly when downloading, and when I
Jan> find them important, I make a print.
>> - If you print it out, is there some limitation of having it on
>> the computer that makes it necessary to have a hardcopy?
>> (E.g. easier to jot notes, don't always have a computer handy,
>> limited screen size.)
>>
>> And if you frequently use HTML:
>>
>> - Do you favour certain types of information, such as API
>> reference, for looking up online?
>>
>> I remember hearing a while back that the cryptic PDF names might
>> be a problem. Someone using the doc CD can pick from a list of
>> books and open the PDF. (There's an HTML-format page and a
>> PDF-format page, both linking to all the PDF files.) Do people
>> often use just a couple of PDFs without having the complete doc
>> CD? I wonder if having some sort of file-renamer would be handy.
Jan> Definitely it would be. Now I do it all by hands ...
Personally, I prefer HTML as long as it has well designed links. There
is nothing worse than a huge html page without sufficient links. I
prefer my documentation on-line as I find it easiest to search that
way.
I've been a bit spoiled in that I've come from a unix background where
we used a lot of Latex for document formatting and then processed that
into different formats such as postscript, html, etc.
What would be really good is if we ever get to the point where
documents are stored in a generic format and you request the
display/print format you want (xml?)
Tim
--
Tim Cross
The e-mail address on this message is FALSE (obviously!). My real e-mail is
to a company in Australia called rapttech and my login is tcross - if you
really need to send mail, you should be able to work it out!
Jonathan Lewis
I vastly prefer pdf over html - partly because the
pdf looks so much more like the original books.
(and after the first 12 years of reading the manuals
I found my eyeballs could spot the new bits without
my brain getting in the way ;)
Other have mentioned various conveniences of
pdf - the one I particularly like is the fact that
Acrobat 5 lets you rotate the page 90 degrees,
so you can see a full size document page on
screen at decent print size, and your laptop
becomes almost as good the original book -
and a couple of pounds lighter too.
But what I really want to get my hands on is
a tablet PC, running acrobat, to see if I can
get the 'sticky note' software to allow me to
scribble on the manual pages. (And then
give me a searchable file of my notes as
a bonus).
My constant companions:
Concepts
Database admin (fundamentals)
SQL Ref
--
Regards
Jonathan Lewis
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk
Coming soon one-day tutorials:
Cost Based Optimisation
Trouble-shooting and Tuning
Indexing Strategies
(see http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/tutorial.html )
____UK_______March 19th
____USA_(FL)_May 2nd
Next Seminar dates:
(see http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/seminar.html )
____USA_(CA, TX)_August
The Co-operative Oracle Users' FAQ
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/faq/ind_faq.html
Noons wrote in message ...
>Following up on John Russell, 21 Feb 2003:
>
>
>PDF for just about everything other than API doco.
>
>View online. It's searchable as a single document. HTML isn't.
>Besides, most of the Oracle manuals come with the two pane thing
>(index and text panes). Great stuff.
>
>Use a notebook, carry it everywhere.
>
>
Noons
>
> But what I really want to get my hands on is
> a tablet PC, running acrobat, to see if I can
> get the 'sticky note' software to allow me to
> scribble on the manual pages. (And then
> give me a searchable file of my notes as
> a bonus).
YEAH!!!! I'd kill for one of those electronic book
readers they have in Japan, but capable of reading Acrobat
files only. They get their mags/news/comics in the
newsagencies in a chip, plonk it in and away they go
everywhere with the most compact library I've ever seen.
I'd settle for Oracle putting all their stuff in pdfs
and a DVD, then selling a little tablet to read it.
Instant popularity, I reckon. I'd buy one in a flash.
>
> My constant companions:
> Concepts
> Database admin (fundamentals)
> SQL Ref
Mine are (of late, it changes every once in a while):
SQL Ref
PL/SQL Ref
PL/SQL "canned" procs
Application Design Guide
Your book
A very old copy of "logical db design" from Univac.
Richard Foote
news:Xns932ADB7A0...@210.49.20.254...
> >
> > My constant companions:
> > Concepts
> > Database admin (fundamentals)
> > SQL Ref
>
>
> Mine are (of late, it changes every once in a while):
>
> SQL Ref
> PL/SQL Ref
> PL/SQL "canned" procs
> Application Design Guide
> Your book
> A very old copy of "logical db design" from Univac.
>
My constant companions are:
The Life and Times of David Bowie
Saucerful of Secrets - The Pink Floyd Odyssey
Readers Digest's Secrets To Successful Prune Juicing
Hornblower's Guide To Funny Hair Cuts And Gentlemanly Conduct
Jeffrey Archer - Honesty Is The Best Policy
How To Prevent Your Parrot From Saying Naughty Words In Front Of The In-Laws
England's Cricketing Highlights (the 4 page extended edition with full page
colour photos)
Lock Ness Monster or Pissed Aussie Tourists - The Untold Story
Michael Jackson's Beauty Tips (recommended to me by Pete Sharman)
All essential reading IMHO ...
Cheers ;)
Richard
Noons
> England's Cricketing Highlights (the 4 page extended edition
> with full page colour photos)
LOL!!!! 4!?!?! u feeling generous today?
> All essential reading IMHO ...
>
don't get me started on my golf and woodworking books...
;)
Niall Litchfield
> don't get me started on my golf and woodworking books...
ah yes, golf and woodworking, now there's a sport - the light trill of the
lathe in the bunker, the neat ping of the 4 iron as it shamfers away - happy
days indeed.
Niall
Noons
>
> ah yes, golf and woodworking, now there's a sport - the light trill of
> the lathe in the bunker, the neat ping of the 4 iron as it shamfers away
> - happy days indeed.
did someone mention a roadmap dictionary poster? :D
Norman Dunbar
given the choice I like paper. I can read it, where I do most of my
reading these days, in the bath !
Having a choice of HTML or pdf, I tend to lean towards pdf - everything
is in one file and I can search the whole thing rather than only being
able to search the current html page. I also find pdf is much quicker
(once Acrobat 5 has loaded) than HTML - even with Opera installed and
running.
So my order is :
Paper books
pdf files
HTML - if I absolutely must !
Cheers,
Norman.
-------------------------------------
Norman Dunbar
Database/Unix administrator
Lynx Financial Systems Ltd.
mailto:Norman...@LFS.co.uk
Tel: 0113 289 6265
Fax: 0113 289 3146
URL: http://www.Lynx-FS.com
-------------------------------------
Paul Brewer
"Norman Dunbar" <Norman...@lfs.co.uk> wrote in message
news:E2F6A70FE45242488C86...@lnewton.leeds.lfs.co.uk...
> Afternoon John,
>
> given the choice I like paper. I can read it, where I do most of my
> reading these days, in the bath !
>
> Having a choice of HTML or pdf, I tend to lean towards pdf - everything
> is in one file and I can search the whole thing rather than only being
> able to search the current html page. I also find pdf is much quicker
> (once Acrobat 5 has loaded) than HTML - even with Opera installed and
> running.
>
> So my order is :
>
> Paper books
> pdf files
> HTML - if I absolutely must !
>
>
It is *way* too close to common sense.
Surely our leaders, whose minds are of course immeasurably superior to ours,
are busy planning the phasing out of paper books in favour of XML on the
latest and greatest display device; a 2 inch by 1 inch monitor on the front
of a mobile telephone.
Regards,
Paul
Joel Garry
>
> >The manuals are much easier
> >to consult, particularly if you download the pdfs
> >and keep them on your desktop or notebook.
>
> I had a discussion the other day where it was asserted that HTML was
> all-around better for certain types of documentation, such as API
> reference doc. As an advocate of online documentation in general, I
> like HTML for some things and PDF for others. I'm curious how others
> feel on that subject.
>
> In particular, if you frequently use PDF:
>
> - Do you view it online (as I interpret Nuno to suggest) or print it
> out?
I view lots of it online, every day. I print out the few things that
I might need to read offline, such as an involved description of
application software, or procedure checklists.
>
> - If you print it out, is there some limitation of having it on the
> computer that makes it necessary to have a hardcopy? (E.g. easier to
> jot notes, don't always have a computer handy, limited screen size.)
All of the above.
>
> And if you frequently use HTML:
>
> - Do you favour certain types of information, such as API reference,
> for looking up online?
I prefer all information in HTML format, with the possible exception
of usenet (which I would read in character cell given the chance).
>
> I remember hearing a while back that the cryptic PDF names might be a
> problem. Someone using the doc CD can pick from a list of books and
> open the PDF. (There's an HTML-format page and a PDF-format page,
> both linking to all the PDF files.) Do people often use just a couple
> of PDFs without having the complete doc CD? I wonder if having some
> sort of file-renamer would be handy.
I don't have a problem renaming, except it sometimes can be difficult
to relate back to what I got from OTN or whereever.
But I must say, I REALLY HATE PDF viewers. They can't resize
properly, and they don't know how to use anti-aliasing to make the
fonts right. It blows out my eyeballs after a couple of hours. Even
exploder (er, without java or pdf plugins) is better than that.
If it was up to me, html for everything, free wideband cell hookups
for everyone.
jg
--
@home is bogus.
And raise taxes to pay for it!
Norman Dunbar
in the words of the Brigadier "Stop it ! This is getting silly!"
Cheers,
Norman.
-------------------------------------
Norman Dunbar
Database/Unix administrator
Lynx Financial Systems Ltd.
mailto:Norman...@LFS.co.uk
Tel: 0113 289 6265
Fax: 0113 289 3146
URL: http://www.Lynx-FS.com
-------------------------------------
Noons
>
> Surely our leaders, whose minds are of course immeasurably superior to
> ours, are busy planning the phasing out of paper books in favour of XML
> on the latest and greatest display device; a 2 inch by 1 inch monitor on
> the front of a mobile telephone.
will you CEASE giving them ideas?
<g,d&r>