Extend the Help system to support full-scale multi-lingual command documentation

Project:JNode Core
Component:Code
Category:task
Priority:normal
Assigned:Unassigned
Status:active
Description

The Help system currently outputs short (mono-lingual) descriptions embedded in the various argument / parameter / syntax descriptors. It would be nice if it could handle multilingual versions of the short descriptions, and also handle multi-paragraph descriptions with some kind of markup. Part of this task would be to figure out what is the most appropriate form of markup.

As a follow-on, it would be good if we have a program that would convert JNode help's source information into HTML that is (for example) suitable for uploading to the JNode website.

#1

Submitted by Fabien D on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 12:34.

It's kind of redundant with that issue, which is about translation of help system.

#2

Submitted by Stephen Crawley on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:40.

Re: redundancy. The descriptions of the two issues do overlap, but I think that they have distinct focus.

  • This one is focussed on figuring out how best to represent and manage help information, taking into account the requirements to support multiple languages, provide different kinds of help information, handle markup in documentation and so on.
  • The other one seems to be more focussed on getting people to translate help information.

While these issues are related (and indeed depend on each other to some degree), I think it is useful to keep them separate. What do you think?

#3

Submitted by Fabien D on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:30.

I agree and I am marking the other one as waiting for specifications on how multiple languages will be handled.

#4

Submitted by Stephen Crawley on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 07:05.

Today I came across Sun's JavaHelp (http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/javahelp/index.jsp).

Might this be the answer to this issue/requirement? I'm sure it isn't perfect, but consider that it may be a long time before anyone on the JNode team gets around implementing a bespoke system.

Question: does anyone have experiences with implementing / using JavaHelp that they would like to share?