[boostbook] cleanup / modernization
I would have opened an "issue" on the boostorg/boostbook project, however, that is not enabled. (Perhaps someone should enable it?) I have duplicated the boostbook setup scripts into the docker setup environment for Ubuntu Bionic and I have found that all of the packages that boostbook depends on are ancient. PackageVersionLast ModifiedHost docbook-xsl 1.75.2 2009 SourceForge http://sourceforge.net/projects/docbook/files/docbook-xsl/1.75.2/docbook-xsl... docbook-xml 4.2 2002 oasis-open.org http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbook-xml-4.2.zip fop 0.94 2007 Apache http://archive.apache.org/dist/xmlgraphics/fop/binaries/fop-0.94-bin-jdk1.4.... These tools are quite old and it is only a matter of time before the older versions could be removed. These external sites are under no particular requirement to keep these older versions of software available. At some point some of these tools may no longer work with current operating system tools, for example "fop" says that it is for "JDK 1.4". Each of these tools has a newer version. A project should be initiated now to modernize the documentation build to use more recent versions of these tools before it becomes a critical release blocker at a bad time. - Jim
-----Original Message----- From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces@lists.boost.org] On Behalf Of James E. King III via Boost Sent: 18 July 2018 14:43 To: boost@lists.boost.org Cc: James E. King III Subject: [boost] [boostbook] cleanup / modernization
I would have opened an "issue" on the boostorg/boostbook project, however, that is not enabled. (Perhaps someone should enable it?)
I have duplicated the boostbook setup scripts into the docker setup environment for Ubuntu Bionic and I have found that all of the packages that boostbook depends on are ancient. PackageVersionLast ModifiedHost docbook-xsl 1.75.2 2009 SourceForge http://sourceforge.net/projects/docbook/files/docbook-xsl/1.75.2/docbook-xsl... docbook-xml 4.2 2002 oasis-open.org http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbook-xml-4.2.zip fop 0.94 2007 Apache http://archive.apache.org/dist/xmlgraphics/fop/binaries/fop-0.94-bin-jdk1.4....
These tools are quite old and it is only a matter of time before the older versions could be removed. These external sites are under no particular requirement to keep these older versions of software available. At some point some of these tools may no longer work with current operating system tools, for example "fop" says that it is for "JDK 1.4".
Each of these tools has a newer version. A project should be initiated now to modernize the documentation build to use more recent versions of these tools before it becomes a critical release blocker at a bad time.
Although I am keen 'keep-up-to-date' man, in this case some caution is necessary. Even when the toolchain was being developed, some newer versions didn't work. The PDF generated was particularly troublesome and we are still using RenderX kindly provided free; In reality only a handful of people can generate PDF versions. Since Boost has copies of all the necessary packages of code, we need not worry too much about the original sources being unavailable. So in this case, I feel that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies. If effort is available (and I don't see much), then developing an entirely new tool chain is where to put it. Extracting information from Doxygen-syntax comments using Clang compile tools and automatically produce docs is surely the way to go. Paul --- Paul A. Bristow Prizet Farmhouse Kendal UK LA8 8AB +44 (0) 1539 561830
On 18/07/2018 14:43, James E. King III via Boost wrote:
I would have opened an "issue" on the boostorg/boostbook project, however, that is not enabled. (Perhaps someone should enable it?)
I have duplicated the boostbook setup scripts into the docker setup environment for Ubuntu Bionic and I have found that all of the packages that boostbook depends on are ancient. PackageVersionLast ModifiedHost docbook-xsl 1.75.2 2009 SourceForge http://sourceforge.net/projects/docbook/files/docbook-xsl/1.75.2/docbook-xsl...
I always use the latest xsl stylesheets with no trouble, I don't doubt the setup scripts are hopelessly out of date in respect of this.
docbook-xml 4.2 2002 oasis-open.org http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbook-xml-4.2.zip
This one is intentionally fixed at that specific version - newer DTD's are *not* backwards compatible and most emphatically will not work. Note that newer versions of the DTD don't necessarily offer us any gains, though I confess docbook-5 has some nice-to-have features. Also note that we will always be fixed on one specific DTD - that's sort of the nature of the beast.
fop 0.94 2007 Apach http://archive.apache.org/dist/xmlgraphics/fop/binaries/fop-0.94-bin-jdk1.4....
I don't know if it's improved, but FOP was always pretty useless, when I used to build the PDF versions of the boost docs (sorry haven't had time lately, and the build scripts are almost certainly broken by now) I used XEP for that reason. In any case, you can use any FO processor you like here. HTH, John. --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com
participants (3)
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James E. King III -
John Maddock -
Paul A. Bristow