The first place I go for help with AmiBroker is the "AmiBroker 5.20
User's Guide in PDF format". I prefer the .pdf file because I find it
easier to search than the help file. And I've been able to add my own
and others comments and merged maintenance notes using Adobe Acrobat.
Also, much of the guide I have printed out, dog eared, marked up,
highlighted, and inserted into three ring binders.
I thought I might make the following suggestions before a 5.30 .pdf is
released. My hope is that this will make the guide both easier for TJ
to produce and to update, and for users to use, and reuse. These
suggestions are predicated on the assumption that the Guide exists in a
common word processing file such a .doc, .rtf, or .odt, and that TJ
would be willing to release it as such.
The general idea is to make the guide modular, so that it is much easier
to keep up to date, and to make updates more obvious to the users.
Briefly, changes similar to these:
1. Number all chapters, with page numbers chapter relative.
2. Freeze the page numbers with version 5.30.
3. When changes or additions are made which require adding pages
between existing pages, use page number.number. Example: pages, 12, 13,
13.1, 13.2, 14, 15, when pages 13.1 and 13.2 are added.
Perhaps, dividing the guide up using sub-chapters and sub-sub-chapters,
etc., ie. 1., 1.1. 1.1.2. 1.2, etc. might be advisable. Whatever is
easiest to implement and understand.
The above could make it much easier for TJ, because he could release
just page addins as new features are added and/or changes made, without
re-paginating the entire guide. Also, it would be much easier for users
to make additions using their own word processing software rather than
an expensive, and more awkward, tool such as Acrobat. And they would be
more aware of new features and changes as they became available. If TJ
thought that one chapter, or sub chapter, needed re-writing in its
entirety, then he could do so and release it as new chapter. And users
could install it appropriately.
I hope that the entire document would be available as one file so users
would not have to make multiple downloads and stitch them all together.
My above thoughts are "quick and dirty". I hope that others will
comment and improve on them.
Oops, one final thought, having the Guide in .doc or similar format,
also makes it easier to adjust the margins to avoid putting holes
through the print.
-- Keith
