sgml file movements and migration to docbook-xml

[Carlo Salinari]

David Nusinow wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 24, 2006 at 01:48:33AM +0100, Carlo Salinari wrote:
>   
>> David Nusinow wrote:
>>     
>>> On Sun, Dec 24, 2006 at 12:57:05AM +0100, Carlo Salinari wrote:
>>>  
>>>       
>>>> Hello Eamon,
>>>>
>>>> I had just finished a script to convert the files in doc/xorg-docs/sgml 
>>>> to docbook-xml 
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>> Why? What's wrong with the sgml?
>>>  
>>>       
>> It's just that docbook has dropped sgml in favour of xml.
>>
>> Xml it's easier, and has a much wider user and tools base.
>>
>> from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docbook>:
>>
>>    "DocBook originally started as an SGML application, but an
>> equivalent XML application was developed and has now replaced the
>> SGML        one for most uses. (The XML DTD started with version 4 of
>> the SGML DTD and keeps the versioning from there.)"
>>
>> If you are worried about the generation of html/ps/pdf files, that stays
>> untouched for the moment (it makes no distinction between sgml and xml).
>>
>> I just thought this was in line with the anticipated reorganization of
>> xorg's documentation.
>> Sorry if I got it wrong.
>> I didn't mean to hijack xorg's documentation efforts :-), nor to make
>> anyone upset.
>>     
>
> Well, do we gain anything from moving to xml though? As I understand it,
> the sgml version is still fully supported by the docbook folks. I don't
> really mind moving to xml, since xml and sgml are so close, but I question
> whether making the move would provide any benefits.
>   
What greater benefit than having an handsome big X in the acronym?  :-)

No, seriously, there are many benefits moving from sgml to xml.

The most valuable benefits I can think of for the xorg project are:
- consolidating all the documentation (legacy and new, manually or 
automatically generated) to a unique format that's well known and easily 
transformed
- lowering the barriers for contributors and newcomers: making life easy 
(well, easier at least) for documentation editors and writers
- avoiding documentation-format obsolescence

ciao,
    Carlo